Blood of the Chozo
by Spyden
Summary: Space Pirates have abducted several ninja! Why? Who will save them from this evil? A certian Bounty Hunter hears their call. Remember, all good guys wear Orange. Naruto Metroid Crossover
1. Nightmare

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Metroid. There I said it.

A/N: This story takes place after the Sasuke retrieval arc and after the events of Metroid Prime.

PLEASE REVIEW!! I need to see how well (or not) I'm doing; please review!!

**-**x**-**x**-**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

**Blood of the Chozo**

I: Nightmare

Drip…Drip……Drip

I open my eyes slowly, ears focusing on the incessant drops of liquid from the ceiling. And when you focus on a recurring noise for too long, you just want to stop it at any cost. I would have in the past, but I think I've grown used to it. I yawned before fully opening my eyes.

A pale yellow light illuminates the room, the light actually radiating from a wall to my left. It isn't a wall, exactly, but it acted like one…except it wouldn't break. I have been in this room three months; I KNOW that wall won't break. I have tried, and failed.

I'm not alone in this room. In fact, the room is large enough to fit several others without any health issues…well, physical health issues. As for mental, being trapped in a prison for too long can make anyone go mental. Prison is putting it lightly.

While we ARE prisoners…_they_ have made us as comfortable as _they_ feel we should be. Temperature at 72 degrees, food and water are given on a regular basis, three times a day everyday, there are even bathrooms to keep the cell clean.

When we were dropped in the room, most of us thought we were going to be tortured. Then we realized that the cell was much too comfortable for that. In fact, _they_ were keeping us healthy for some reason. No one could figure out why…well, except Ibiki. He had it figured out as soon as we were dropped in.

We were Lab rats; _they_ were keeping us fit for experimentation. I was lucky tonight, I didn't have that same nightmare; having a nightmare while already being IN a nightmare is the worst. People have told me I'm not as cheerful as I used to be; then I tell them the same thing. Being surrounded by darkness does that, it snuffs out the light.

-F-L-A-S-H-B-A-C-K-

I dashed through the trees, heading to my training area for the day. I didn't have any missions that day, so I got to train; wake up, eat ramen, train, eat ramen, train, eat ramen, sleep, repeat if another day is available. I had just finished eating lunch, and hoped to make more progress on my techniques as quickly as possible when I heard something. I jumped to the ground, scanning my surroundings, trying to pin-point the humming sound. The sound grew from a hum into a roar as birds scattered every which way. I felt the wind pick up in front of me, the sound also coming from that direction.

I crept forward as the sound died down, the roar whirring into nothingness. The ground shook slightly as something metallic landed nearby. Walking out into the clearing, my eyes nearly fell out of my head.

A giant heap of metal lay before me, a square of black faced me, connected to four more slabs of metal that connected to others that eventually closed off at the end. I could feel and even see the heat of a great fire from the back of the thing. Suddenly, the bottom flap of the square slowly dropped, revealing that there was an inside to this thing.

"A ship?" I guessed. But, before I could start marveling it, I heard clanking from inside the ship, footsteps. Any good thoughts that I had before this point vanished when I saw these…things. When I saw the nightmare…

Three black, insectoid creatures stood before me. Each with thin, sinewy and muscular legs with three clawed toes and one more jutting out from behind the foot. From the pelvic region, the waist thinned then expanded to give the creatures an upside-down sand gourd look. Seemingly hunched, their heads jutted out with a small neck, had large gleaming yellow eyes and intimidating mandibles that moved every so often. Their arms matched their legs, only where there would be hands; there were lobster-like claws. On their right claw, a metal cannon of some type was attached to it with some tubes or wires heading to a pack on their back; attached to their left, a glowing, yellow sword curved very much like a scythe rested on each of their forearms, ready to be whipped out when they needed it. Their entire body seemed armored from head to toe, except perhaps at the joints, like all other insects. Only difference was that most insects weren't that big.

_'They…they're…b-bigger than…than ZABUZA!!"_ I thought as a cold sweat trickled quickly down my cheek to my chin and off. I flinched when they 'spoke'.

"GshNARGzzeeechkknEedAA." The one in front pushed out in a voice that was somewhere between pure rubbish and gargling lava. It didn't sound like any insect I knew about. I took a cautious step back. The one who spoke brandished his scythe, glaring at me with hungry eyes, a long thin tongue escaping the confines of his mouth.

Without even thinking, I made fifty shadow-clones between me and the aliens. They seemed to snicker (if one could call it that, it sounded more like grinding meat), as the one with the scythe ready spoke again.

"RrrraacCCkraaaaaAAAaasssssshhhhhhhhhhhh." Suddenly it leaped forward, cutting through all the clones in front of him, eventually resting his blade on the neck of the back-most 'clone'. The alien's mandibles widened, revealing a row of jagged teeth that currently formed a sadistic smile. The clones poofed away, leaving only the one in danger. The alien slit the boy's throat.

The two other aliens 'grinned' and each put on a red visor over their eyes. The first of the three now stood in front of a newly formed poof of smoke. The 'leader' retracted his scythe and mentioned to the other two to follow before dashing into the forest.

Meanwhile, I rushed to the Leaf village, _'I have to warn them! I…I can't let them catch us off gaurd!'_ I thought as I reached the village in record time and went straight for the Hokage's office…

-E-N-D-F-L-A-S-H-B-A-C-K-

At first they didn't believe me, no one did, but I dragged Granny Tsunade to the place they would come in if they were following me. No one came, no one was following. It pissed me off when the others thought I had pulled a prank and left. I found myself wishing that they HAD shown up, just so I could prove them wrong.

I now wish a lot of things, one of which being that I hadn't made that wish. Later that day, nine Chunin and one Jonin were found near-dead at the other side of the village. When I finally made it to the scene, I nearly threw up. Three of them were beheaded, one of the heads crushed; Two were missing heads altogether, and the rest had several holes running straight through their bodies, always through important organs. Only the Jonin was alive longer than thirty seconds after reaching the scene, just long enough to try to describe the attackers.

They fit the description I gave not minutes earlier.

The village was on high alert for several weeks, I was sent on solo D-rank missions mostly. I can only remember one mission I did, and I really don't want to think about that right now. Anyway, the aliens returned three weeks later. This time there were more of them, a lot more.

I can't say it was a massacre, because the death count was extremely low for a complete takeover of the Leaf village, but it was no contest. These aliens stormed the village and knocked out as many people as they could and dragged them away. Some that resisted too much were killed. I remember watching as Shino was hit by something before being reduced to ashes. I was knocked out seconds after that.

Based on the people being held here, a number of good ninja were able to escape. Kakashi, Guy, Granny-Tsunade, Neji; the list goes on. Stuck here with me in this cell are Ibiki, Iruka, Kiba (without Akamaru), Rock Lee, Choji, and the father's of Ino and Shikamaru…Ino and Shikaku. I also know that Sakura, Hinata, and Kurenai are here also, but they are in a different cell.

Suddenly, purple bubbles of light attached to chains (that were connected to the wall) shot out and encased our hands. The yellow light coming from the wall disappears as well as the wall itself. A shiny metallic drone carts in what I supposed was breakfast. Leaving the cart, the drone leaves and the 'wall' reforms and resumes its yellow glow.

Ah, breakfast. Every breakfast time I can't wait for green slop. Actually, the stuff tasted better than it looked, but that didn't mean it tasted GOOD, just passable. The water was clear and tasted like it should…tasteless. Breakfast was also relative, considering only half of us were just waking up while the other half was eating their dinner and getting ready to sleep.

No one has been taken from our cell recently, which means _they_ will probably take one of us pretty soon. I just hope it isn't me…then again, I don't want my friends to go either…what do we do? These aliens came out of nowhere and have taken over our home. I look up to the ceiling, longing for someone to end this nightmare. Someone, ANYONE…

Save us…

-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-

I scan through the various planets, hoping to find some lead. The Space Pirates are still active, but they've gone into hiding, or at the very least they are covering their current actions as best they can. I know that the Pirates have a thing for energy, so I've limited my search to planets that give off higher amounts of energy. Before I thought they would only go after energy sources that were safer than others, but now I know that they want it at any cost. Their latest expedition on Tallon IV proves that.

At first I wanted to find planets with any Phazon signatures, thinking that wherever Phazon was Space Pirates would surely be nearby. I find out that Phazon is incredibly hard to trace, despite its radioactivity levels simply because it seems to be everywhere. This is only because Phazon is hard to differentiate from several other forms of energy at long distances. So, all I can do is find ones high in energy and see if that is were the Pirates have decided to mine.

I was so focused on the screens that I almost fly past an unnamed planet in the Gake system. When I say 'unnamed' I mean that it was practically discovered a few days ago. The energy levels on the planet rivaled that of the Phazon levels on Tallon IV, and that was saying something. I select the planet for more information. As expected, there is almost no information on this planet, it was simply too recent. I was almost tempted to just continue on, reasoning that if the planet had just been discovered, the Space Pirates shouldn't be there.

But I catch myself and turn toward the planet. New planets are ripe for Pirate picking, especially those with energy to mine. It would take a day or two to reach it, but if anything, I'd get to see the newest planet in the galaxy. Even if I wasn't searching for the Space Pirates…I feel drawn to this place. There is something…familiar coming from the planet. I don't know what, but I plan to find out.

-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-

_So, the chosen one finally answers the calls of a brother in need. Perhaps he will live through this yet…_

_Samus, you must guide this boy. Lead him through the darkness, for it tries to devour him. Should that happen, I fear for you all._

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

PLEASE REVIEW!!

**Next Time: Escape! The Hunter arrives!**

A/N: Please review and give feedback, what do you think?


	2. Escape!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Metroid. There I said it.

A/N: This story takes place after the Sasuke retrieval arc and after the events of Metroid Prime.

PLEASE REVIEW!! I need to see how well (or not) I'm doing; please review!!

**-**x**-**x**-**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

**Blood of the Chozo**

II: Escape

It has been three months…only three months…and we're trapped here. I tear myself away from the map on the table, rubbing my forehead. The only countries the aliens HAVE'NT taken over are Earth Country and the one she was unfortunate enough to be in.

Sound.

It's amazing how easily friendships are made when the planet is being invaded by aliens who are abducting anyone they can. Well, that isn't quite true; they were in the beginning, but now the invaders focus on ninjas only. Probably because we pose the most threat. People are sailing off the Earth Country's far western shores in hopes to find new land away from this threat. I wish they would just realize that they aren't limited to land.

I am the only Kage left, the others have been abducted or killed, how I am still alive I'll never know.

Terrible news came in yesterday describing how the Wind Country had fallen, its defenses bypassed and ninja taken captive, several civilians slaughtered. The ninja that gave this unfortunate report also told me that his brother was taken and that he could do nothing to stop them. He then went into an angry rant about how Temari shouldn't have knocked him out and dragged them here. I felt he didn't even care that I was standing right next to him, so I left the room. I returned 15 minutes later to see him finally calming down.

If these aliens could take down Gaara, could they be stopped? I have talked to so many Jonin from all of the various villages, trying to figure out what we should do. At one point we almost led ourselves to disaster with a plan we thought would work, fortunately Shikamaru stopped us and told us exactly how many things could go wrong. A lot of them dealt with uncertainties with the technology the invaders use. I see him constantly in his 'thinking pose' and everyone knows that we shouldn't bother one of the few people who might figure out a way to save the captured ninja.

Neji has been training constantly, literally. In the beginning he only stopped every twelve hours to eat before continuing. I stopped this immediately and have put him on a more reasonable training schedule. Due to circumstance, Neji is now the head of the clan, considering most of the Hyuga clan has been captured. Oddly enough, Sasuke is training with Neji, both trying to become stronger to beat the invaders.

Sasuke still has to gain the trust of many leaf ninja, but so far he is proving invaluable in reconnaissance. He is able to track enemy movements without being caught; even if he is spotted, he outruns them anyway.

Probably the worst part about this whole arrangement is that Orochimaru is now on OUR side. I don't think anyone trusts him. Only Shikamaru really listens to some of the ideas he has about rescuing the ninja,

"We may have to resort to forbidden jutsus if we hope to succeed."

Still, the whole idea of Orochimaru wanting to rescue the ninja is foreign to me and I simply can't accept it. Luckily, if worse comes to worse, Jiraiya's here to back me up.

I fear we may be running short on time. _They_ are avoiding this place as much as _they_ can because of the difficult terrain and Sasuke's help, but how long will that last? If we have any chance of winning, we must strike first, not them. If we don't, all is lost.

-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-

I found myself reliving a memory in a dream, a moment in my life when something…strange happened. Though I was more watching myself on a TV screen in a dark room. The Naruto on the screen looked around the large, stone-walled room and noticed that he was standing on a stone floor as well.

The room was circular, the stone walls curving into a dome above him. In the center of the room sat a statue. It resembled a bird, but also looked humanoid as well, sitting on a chair of somesort; the bird seemingly trading its wings for arms and longer legs, each with taloned hands and feet. The face remained bird-like, with feathers, beak, and all, though the eyes seemed slightly closer together than on a normal bird. The creature wore a robe that covered everything but his head and hands, which were out in front of him, as if it was holding something that wasn't there anymore. The only way Naruto was able to see all of this was from the fact that the statue's eyes glowed a topaz color that shed some light on the room.

I watched as Naruto walked around the statue several times before noticing an opening in the dome. He walked through the doorway and found himself in another room similar to the last. The only thing in this room was a sphere. It was about the size of a basketball made out of stone. "Hey…that looks like it matches the statue." His voice echoed off the walls. He walked over to it and lifted.

Well, at least he tried, "How much does this thing WEIGH?" he struggled a few more seconds before his grasp slipped and he stumbled to the ground. He growled and tried again with several shadow clones helping him. That didn't work either. "Why am I doing this again?" he asked himself, "I should be figuring out a way to get out of here!" His echo responded similarly. I chuckled before realizing I was laughing at myself…I found myself amusing!

Naruto plopped himself down and closed his eyes, the screen going black, "Think, Naruto, Think…" Naruto almost missed his echo…not repeating what he had said.

"There is no normal way to leave this place…"

The screen showed the room again as Naruto turned to the opening, no one was there. He scanned the dimly lit room as best he could. Suddenly the room lit up with yellow-gold lights, casting away all shadows in the room. Naruto shielded his eyes for a few moments before looking again.

Standing a few feet in front of him stood a creature similar to the statue; a bird-like being whose eyes shone with wisdom and power. Naruto opened his mouth to ask something, but the bird cut him off.

"I am a priest of the Chozo race. White Eagle." The semi-deep voice reverberated off the walls. He stood regally, he struck me as one who didn't demand respect, but should be anyway, "I am here for one reason, and one reason alone. To wait for the Maelstrom to descend to bring the world darkness and light. For the golden warrior of this planet."

Naruto was not catching a word of this. The Chozo somehow noticed and continued somewhat differently,

"A great evil is about to infect this land, Naruto. You are the one to lead the evil away."

"Lead them away? What's this great evil…" Naruto blinked, "HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?!" The Chozo gazed down at the youth with patient eyes, "You said your name mere seconds ago, and you have already seen the evil you are about to face." Naruto shut his mouth and listened. This happened after the aliens first came, a few days before _they_ overthrew the village. "I say 'lead them away' because you are not the one who will defeat them. Even so, you will not survive this brush with darkness without preparation." The Chozo pointed at the sphere, "Only the strongest of Chozo are able to lift this sphere and give it to the holy statue."

"And why should I know that?"

"Giving the sphere to the statue is the test for all Chozo who wish to become warriors for our race. Only those with Chozo blood are able to partake in this test, and for those who pass, great power will be granted to them." The Chozo took a few steps forward, his imposing height made Naruto look very small.

"I have been waiting here for the past five centuries for YOU. For Naruto Uzumaki, so that I may give you the strength you need to survive this terrible ordeal."

"Five hundred…years?" Naruto couldn't believe his ears. I still can't believe how old this guy was.

"This is a gift…a gift you do not have to accept. Just know that you will die otherwise." At the time I couldn't find the words to say 'of course I accept!', but the priest seemingly read my mind again.

"Very well, prepare yourself…"

"What? Why?" Naruto's question was answered as vines erupted from the ground and grasped his feet, pinning them to the ground. Naruto looked down and tried to move. Finding that pointless, he looked back up and wished he hadn't.

The Chozo's talons were imbedded into the priest's own chest, as if he were clutching his heart. Naruto lurched as the priest dragged his hand out, his talons now a blueish-red color. Naruto didn't have time to ask as the bloody talons sunk into his chest. Naruto jerked in surprise, expecting pain in the next few milliseconds…but it never came.

He (and I) felt a strange warmth spreading through him before the sensation faded away. Naruto felt the priest grasping his shoulders and uttering out,

"You are now a Chozo. Destined for great things…" Feathers slowly fell of his head and face like leaves off a dying tree, "Make us proud…we will be watching…" The priest slumped before disappearing into light. Naruto could only stand in shock.

The vines around his feet withered and he broke free. He took a step back and looked at the floor where the Chozo priest had stood.

"Nothing left…" A deep sorrow soon welled up inside of him; it looked to me as if he had just watched one of his friends die, which he soon questioned, _'Why do I feel this way…I hardly knew him…so why?'_

Naruto walked solemnly over to the sphere. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw the sphere. It was no longer stone, but as smooth as glass. It was black with a yellow thunderbolt streaked across its diameter. He bent down to test its weight again, still skeptical that it would weigh any less, only to find it was no heavier than a bowling ball now.

He returned the sphere to the statue, placing it in the Chozo's hands. They shifted under the weight of the ball, causing it to slide down slightly before the talons locked it in place. The statues gleaming eyes stared at Naruto.

"_You are troubled young Chozo, before I send you away, let me give you solace."_ The statue said in a deep, booming voice. _"All Chozo are drawn to each other, even those who are not pure Chozo. To see a Chozo leave this plane of existence for eternity brings involuntary sorrow to any Chozo who witnesses it. Do not let it disturb you, the feeling will pass soon."_

The screen paused.

"The time has come." I turn to the voice. I see White Eagle stand in front of me as a ghost, pale and translucent. For whatever reason, I am not all that shocked to see him in this dream. I am happy to see him, another feeling that is unexplainable.

"For what?" I ask.

"For you to set the bait…"

"huh?"

"Now…awaken!"

-n-n-n-

I snap out of sleep, blinking several times. It takes a full minute to realize three things: One, that I was running; two, that three angry aliens were shouting at me from behind; and four, that I was outside the cell. I wasn't just outside the cell; I was outside of the giant base that the cell was in.

"I'm free!"

I keep running.

"But how did I get out?" I don't have time to think much on it as I suddenly feel exhausted. The ones chasing me are gaining with surprising speed as I feel like I'm about to collapse. Where did all my energy go?

The forest I'm running through changes into a grassy field. Then, I'm face down in the dirt. I turn myself over and prop myself up on two shaky arms, still trying to catch my breath. I see the three aliens close in on me. The one closest to me aims his gun at my chest.

Suddenly, a suit of orange armor comes out of nowhere and grabs the wrist of the one about to shoot me. With a cannon on his right forearm instead of a hand, he (I'm assuming it's a he) shoots the alien's left shoulder joint, causing the arm to fall off. Then he grabs the falling arm, activates the scythe on the arm, and slices the top half of alien off. While the aliens are still in shock, the orange clad warrior dashes over and cuts the next in half vertically. The last alien fires several shots which don't seem to faze the warrior as he twirls the scythe and hurls the arm like a javelin at the last of the three. The scythe imbeds itself next to the alien's head, seconds before the warrior fires a large energy shot and blows it to oblivion.

As I'm passing out, I can't help but think that I have such a badass guardian angel.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

PLEASE REVIEW!!

**Next Time: The Mystery of the Chozo! Old Ties Reforged!**

A/N: Please review and give feedback, what do you think?Also, I know Samus' true identity, but Naruto doesn't.


	3. Chance

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Metroid. There I said it.

A/N: This story takes place after the Sasuke retrieval arc and after the events of Metroid Prime.

PLEASE REVIEW!! I need to see how well (or not) I'm doing; please review!!

Thank you to** BOM333** and **Helcion Pheonix** for reviewing!!

**-**x**-**x**-**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

**Blood of the Chozo**

III: Chance

Was I surprised to see Space Pirates on this planet? No. Was I surprised to save a life minutes after landing? No. Was I surprised to save a human? Perhaps a little, but I have saved countless types of species. The fact that he was human simply makes it easier for me. Was I surprised that he passed out seconds after I rescued him? No, happens all the time.

Why am I telling you this? To emphasize that I am not surprised easily. Even in the midst of battle, I try to keep my cool. I have to; my aim loses accuracy when it is clouded with emotions. I do what I must to save lives, to protect the galaxy. I frequently bring those I rescue to my ship until I can locate a safe place to return them.

With this boy, I had to alter the procedure a bit. With the Space Pirate activity so high on this planet, to keep myself and the boy safe, I had to launch into orbit first. I typically don't leave the atmosphere if I don't have to; I don't know what will happen to my 'hitchhikers' if we blast into space. I've had some horrid experiences involving radioactive vomit that I don't want to repeat…

Scans show that his body managed the take off, which means that my ship's pressure gauges aren't malfunctioning; usually a good thing. I lay him on a fold out cot in my ship. There are no rooms on the ship, just a large cockpit; seats in front of the main windows for piloting, and room in the back that functions as just about everything else. Table in the middle, couches on the sides (where the cots are located), and an extremely small kitchen area where the food for long voyages is kept. The only other room is the bathroom. This ship was built so that one person could fly it, a one-man crew, and fly really fast. The two engines on the back ensured speed, four on the bottom ensured control and maneuverability; this ship was meant for speed. If that wasn't good enough, it was armed enough to fend off attack from multiple angles.

Thankfully the Pirates didn't decide to chase us, so I can spend more time examining the boy. Performing several scans on the boy using some of the sensors on the ship, I find myself filled with questions. The boy was obviously running from the Pirates; the scans indicated that he was held in captivity there until he escaped. Question 1: Why are the Space Pirates keeping them? She figured the answer would be experimentation, but based on a bio-scan of the continent, there were too many 'specimens' to experiment on trapped in the Pirate base.

Leading to Question 2: What is so special about THESE particular humans? It took several tests just to find out any differences. One, was an extremely developed IES network, or Internal Energy Supply network, developed to near dangerous levels for most documented species. The next went hand in hand with the first; the amount of energy surging through their IES system was astronomical. I was completely baffled at how this species, while so clearly human, could have developed such traits. Though it opened a few more questions, the previous two questions had been answered.

Energy. The Space Pirates plan to sap as much energy out of these people as they can. This explains why the boy is in such healthy condition. Other than the sedatives laced in his lungs, probably the Pirates way of keeping the experiments calm, he was perfectly fine.

All of this was revealing, but not really unheard of. This whole life-sucking process has been done by the Pirates before, and they are still doing it to the best of my knowledge…with Metroids. This whole scenario was typical Space Pirate procedure. It was when I ran a few basic tests that I stumbled upon a few things that I found shocking.

First off, this boy's energy nearly broke the dial measuring it. It was easily over 9000 before the computer started fizzling. Just as a reference, Mother Brain of the planet Zebes, the force that keeps the entire planet from going completely uninhabitable, has an energy level of around 4500. In other words, this boy could easily replace Mother Brain in terms of energy and do a better job.

This was shocking, but what I learned next made my heart skip several beats. His DNA, while significantly human, held some irregularities that seemed to suggest a DNA transfusion. As my mind wrapped around this concept, his blood scan finished. This was odd considering I didn't even ask for a blood test; I read the read-out, blinked, re-read it, removed my helmet and stared intently at the green letters glaring at me.

_Homo Sapien Type B 65_

_Chozo 35_

Chozo…The benevolent race that took me in as a child…raised me…helped me build this suit…to become who I am today. I myself am nearly 50 Chozo; they had transfused Chozo DNA with my own so that I could survive with them on the planet Zebes.

Here I am, coming to a newly discovered planet by chance…saving a fellow Chozo, a member of a race that is thought to be nearly extinct.

It was at that point that I vowed to not only save this planet, but protect this boy with my life.

For that is the way of the Chozo.

-N-N-N-N-

If only I had only woken up a few seconds sooner, I would've seen his face! It's too late now…and I'm not going to ask. Tried it once with Kakashi, turned out to be a complete waste of time.

"Good, you're awake." He says in an androgynous voice. So much for figuring that out, "My name is Samus Aran; you are currently on my ship."

Seemed nice enough, so naturally I introduce myself as well.

"Naruto, huh?" Samus pauses for some reason. I find it extremely difficult to read body language when he's wearing that suit. "What is happening on your planet?"

"Heck if I know! These Insect creeps come from space and enslave us all. That's pretty much the story."

"'Pretty much' isn't enough. Tell me everything you know." Obviously this guy didn't like summaries. See, if I had heard that line, I woulda jumped into action and made sure that they were saved from the vile alien threat. But no, I have to tell the whole story. It takes a bit, and Samus doesn't ask any questions the entire time. Only when I'm finished does he talk.

"So, not everyone has been captured…"

"Right, but I don't know where the rest are…"

"That makes this easier." Samus turns and goes to sit in the chair by the big window in the front which I just notice. I walk behind him and look out. I've never seen anything like it…not just the clarity of the stars, but the planet itself. I've never seen my home from this high. It was…mystifying seeing this blue-green orb seemingly right next to the ship we were on. Samus snaps me out of it, "You may want to sit down."

"Why?"

"Just trust me on this." I turn to find a large chair that hadn't been there a few moments ago. I sit on it, noticing how comfy it was. Two belts cross in front of me and strap me in as I feel the ship moving. Fast. I feel myself being pushed to the back of my chair as Samus nonchalantly tells me what exactly he's doing.

"When I ran a bio-scan on the continent, it picked up three major clusters of life-forms similar to yours. One was located at the Space Pirate base, so that leaves the other two." I barely find the strength to reply,

"How…do you know…which one…to go to?"

"While you were unconscious, I had to run some tests to see if you were harmed. I noticed that you had a high amount of energy. So, I'm taking you to the one that has the most people like you. If that's not right, then I'll just take you to the other place." About halfway through that sentence, the ship began to shake. Apparently he noticed how terrified I was at what the heck was happening. "We're heading through the atmosphere, it won't be long now." Again, Samus seemed used to this. I reasoned I had nothing to worry about if he wasn't worried.

At least I know why the seats are comfy…

-T-T-T-T-

Tuesday…probably the most underappreciated and unpopular day of the week. You're probably thinking, 'what about Monday?' Frankly, I think that Monday loves the attention it gets, people hating them in general, loving the holidays that land on them. But Tuesday…what does it have? Wednesday is humpday, Thursday is day-before-Friday-day, Friday is TGIF, and Saturday and Sunday share the 'weekend' title.

So, I made something up. Tuesday is training day. I train every Tuesday, no exceptions. If I don't, I get cranky…and most know what I'm like when I'm cranky. So, I'm out on the training field, and as soon as I see Neji running at me, I know my day is about to go to hell.

"Excuse me, Lord Hokage, but there is an unidentified flying object heading straight for the village."

I had thought through this kind of situation thoroughly with Shikamaru before. I answer quickly, "If it makes any moves to land, I want to know where it can and greet it. Otherwise, put the ninja on high alert for a possible attack. Report back if anything new comes up. Dismissed." Neji leaves.

He had made it to Chunin rank only a few days ago, almost every ninja here is Chunin or higher with only the youngest and least experienced being the Genin. As soon as he ranked up, I appointed him as the Captain of the guard, a first for one of Chunin level, to alert me or other ANBU to anything approaching the village. Some argued against this decision, but I just threw the powers of his Byakugan in their faces. He simply had the best eyes in the village, period.

I have the silly thought to try to resume my training when Neji jumps back in front of me.

"There is a strong chance that they are landing here. Squads are on their way."

How ironic, now I definitely wasn't going to train…damn it. The ANBU arrived in seconds and hid themselves among the surrounding trees. It was one of the few places in the village that a small ship could actually land. We find it fortunate that the invaders don't have any such ships.

I see the ship that Neji reported, an orange semi-spherical vessel that is moving at an alarming speed. I almost think it's about to crash when it starts to slow down.

"Neji, go back to your post, I don't want to be caught in an ambush." Neji jumps away and is replaced by Sasuke and Kankuro. As the ship prepares to land, I notice Mist and Cloud ninja place themselves opposite myself, surrounding it. As I have said before, this invasion has done what treaties and wars could not do before. The people of this village no longer see each other as from separate countries, or as enemies, but as fellow ninja, fellow humans. If we survive this, I only hope that this kind of co-existence will last.

The ship lands softly; everyone tenses. Agonizing seconds tick away as the engines cease whirring. Suddenly, sounds of moving parts reach my ears and a tall suit of armor rises out of the top of the ship. It matches the color of the ship, right down to each of their green tinted visors. He takes a couple steps forward, stops and waits, constantly looking in my direction, but not at me. I thank my lucky stars that no ninja has decided to attack yet.

"State your name and business!" I call up to the figure. He finally looks at me and says,

"I am Samus Aran, eternal enemy of the Space Pirates. I have come in hopes to rid this planet of them." Space Pirates…so now our captors have a name.

"Give us a reason to believe you."

"I believe I have rescued one of your kind."

I raise an eyebrow at this, "Really…who?" He doesn't immediately answer. He turns and looks down the hatch that he just came out of. I think I hear someone yelling inside when Samus states,

"Push the button in the center to unbuckle."

I hear an 'ooooh' of understanding escape the ship. I start to wonder who could be in there. Samus resumes his standing position as another person rises out of the vessel.

To say we were shocked would be an understatement; I think every Leaf-nin's mouth dropped, a few fell out of their hiding places in the trees. Then he spoke.

"Granny-Tsunade!! You're here!" Yelled the number one, loudest, hyperactive, unpredictable, knuckle-headed ninja.

"Idiot…What are you doing here?" Sasuke gets out with a smile. Naruto turns to him, eyes filled with mild shock and numerous other emotions that I had never seen in the boy. Then he puts on his best 'hero' face.

"I'm here…to save the world!! Believe it!!"

Never thought I'd hear those words again. The rest of the day (which, like I said, went to hell) was spent reacquainting ourselves with Naruto. Everything changed that day. Everything. I didn't even get cranky for not training.

We actually had a chance.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

PLEASE REVIEW!!

**Next Time: Shikamaru Has a Plan! Eternal Enemies of the Space Pirates!!**

A/N: Please review and give feedback, what do you think?Honestly, this Chapter was hard. But again, I really am just bad at transitions. The action should pick up as the story moves along. Also, I know Samus' true identity, but no one else in the story does.


	4. Plan

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Metroid. There I said it.

A/N: This story takes place after the Sasuke retrieval arc and after the events of Metroid Prime.

PLEASE REVIEW!! I need to see how well (or not) I'm doing; please review!!

Thank you to**BOM333**, **Helcion Pheonix**, **Shining Pheonix**, and **g 52 goodman** for reviewing!!I really appreciate your comments. I can't change the POV (too drastic a change) but I can improve on it with suggestions. As for pairings…we'll see ;). Thanks again!!

**-**x**-**x**-**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

**Blood of the Chozo**

IV: Plan

Perhaps this is what having a friend truly means…

Naruto has been back for maybe ten minutes and he's already accepted me back. That's something that most here don't even want to try. They see me as a mini-Orochimaru…which is wrong on SO many levels. But I guess I can't blame them, training with the snake can lead to many social issues…

Frankly…I'm not a social person anyway, and I'm getting stronger each day, I can feel it. It has been keeping me alive these past few months. Shikamaru has told me many times that we lack information on the enemy, so I have done as much as I can to gather said information. But this stranger that Naruto has brought with him seems to know more than any of us could ever hope to learn in such short time.

Samus Aran, Naruto, Shikamaru, and I are currently in a meeting with Tsunade; partly for Naruto's report from the inside, and partly to see if this 'Samus" could be trusted. Naruto has already explained his captive conditions and how Samus came out of nowhere and saved his life. Then came that lull in the conversation that usually means that some hard questions are about to be shot at someone. This time they came courtesy of Shikamaru.

"And why are you here?" Samus waits a few seconds before answering.

"I came by chance. I was trying to locate any possible Space Pirate activity when I passed by this planet. This planet has only recently been registered in the Galactic Federation's records, essentially making it the newest planet in the galaxy. I noticed that several things made this planet vulnerable to Space Pirate activity."

"Those being?" Tsunade asks.

"Any new planet is ripe for the Space Pirates to check it out for potential resources. Also, this planet shows high amounts of energy, which Space Pirates crave more than anything else."

"What energy do they want?" I can tell that Tsunade has an idea, but doesn't exactly want to hear it…I don't really want to either.

"The largest sources of energy on this planet…" he pauses for a breath, "are found in the inhabitants themselves."

"So they want chakra…" Shikamaru states.

"If that is what you call it." Samus adds.

"So wait…how do they plan to get it?" Naruto asks the stupid question. I spare Samus the task of answering.

"How else, idiot? They're going to suck it out of us. It's not like we're going to give them chakra for the heck of it." Naruto shuts up for a moment as that thought sinks in. The moment doesn't last long.

"Then we have to save the others!! We can't just sit around here and leave them to die!"

"Brilliant idea Naruto, but how would YOU go about doing it?" Shikamaru replies before I can. "What do you think we've been doing this whole time, twiddling our thumbs??!!" Shikamaru nearly yells. He's showing a bit more passion than he usually does. I don't think Naruto expected that reaction either, and when you catch Naruto off guard…

"Then what HAVE you been doing, huh?!" Naruto shouts right back.

"We've been trying to--."

"Where have you been while we've been waiting to die?!"

"ENOUGH!!" Tsunade stands and silences the room before glaring at Naruto.

"We have been trying our best Naruto, but I don't think you understand the gravity of this situation. This place, the Sound village, is one of the only strongholds left on this continent! The Earth country is the other one remaining, and they are abandoning their home in hopes to find new land somewhere else. All of the other nations have been conquered! THIS IS ALL THAT'S LEFT!!" Tsunade takes a breath.

"Only the strongest of ninja were able to make it here, and we have been trying desperately to come up with a plan to best an enemy that has more numbers, more power, and better technology than we do. But so far, all our plans end in death. If it wasn't for the young man you just lost your temper with, we'd all be dead along with you!" Silence takes over again as Tsunade sits down once more. I take this opportunity to explain further.

"We lack information, running into a fight without good information is suicide; you should remember that from our Chunin exams."

"He said running in with BAD info is suicide." Naruto countered, "He also said that ninja often must run into situations with little or no information to complete the mission, even if that mission is risky." Surprisingly, a good counter, Shikamaru had my back though.

"Yes, but he also said this when the ninja villages were in their prime, thinking that even if there were casualties, the next generation of ninja would take their place. However, in this time of crisis, when our very race is on the verge of destruction, the next generation seems like a dream."

Tsunade adds, "Also, I don't want ANY fatalities, life is precious and time is running shorter and shorter. I'll reiterate; we don't have the numbers to survive a failed mission, period. The plan must succeed if we hope to survive." Tsunade turns to Samus.

"You say you are the eternal enemy of the Space Pirates…I assume this means you know their weaknesses."

"I know more than that…" he says, pressing the side of his helmet with two fingers. A beam shoots out of his visor, flickers, then widens, forming a greenish 3-D image. "This is the ship that the Space Pirates have converted into their base of operations here on this planet, mainly for holding potential sources of energy." The 3-D image zoomed in on the ship, showing the different rooms of the inside. "Based on energy readings, your people should be located here…" He pointed to one red light, "…and here." He pointed to another on the other side of the complex. While Naruto and I were still marveling at how the heck he was doing this (Naruto showed more interest than I did, but I thought it was…intriguing), Shikamaru doesn't hesitate to ask,

"And what's this?" pointing to a bluish light roughly between the other two lights

"That is where I suspect the experiments on the prisoners take place, based on past experience with this type of vessel." Shikamaru nods. Samus takes a breath before continuing. "There are a total of 15 entrances and 20 exits." 15 blue squares appear around the outside, showing where the entrances were, likewise, 5 red squares appear showing exit-only openings. There are a total of 750 space pirates on board, 100 of those being scientists."

The hologram disappears as a small orange disk ejects itself out of Samus's helmet. "Whenever you want to see the hologram, place it on a level surface and press the button." Shikamaru accepts the disk and before he can ask Samus continues. Another image appears, one of a Space Pirate. "This is a Space Pirate, as I'm sure you know. You asked for weaknesses, anything that can pierce or crush the exoskeleton will be useful as well as attacking the joints, which have little to no armor on them at all. Like most insects, they are resilient and you've got to make sure they are dead before moving on. Destroying the upper torso is a good bet, the best way to pierce the armor to do any damage is to go through the head. Also, their own weapons are quite potent against themselves as well."

"Thank you. This will help us greatly. Dismissed." I begin to leave when Tsunade calls me to stay. She waits a few moments after everyone leaves before starting.

"I want you to take Neji and confirm as much of this as you can. Do not go any closer than you must and make sure you aren't caught. This is an A-rank mission. I want you to leave before nightfall. Understood?" She hands me the disk that Shikamaru left behind.

"Got it."

Looks like my day just got more interesting…

-T-T-T-T-

After sending Sasuke and Neji to confirm Samus's information, I ordered several ANBU to watch our guest. A few hours later, several reports came in all at once. The ANBU reported that Samus had returned to his ship and was very good at keeping them out. Sasuke returned quicker than I thought, proving the information accurate. I call in Shikamaru to pick up the disk so he can formulate a plan of action. As he walks out, I swear that he's excited about finally coming up with a decent plan. Before he walks out, he informs me that he'll be stopping by Samus's ship to gather more information. I give him the okay.

Now for the hardest part of the day, planning the meeting. The final meeting before we strike back.

-B-B-B-B-

A trickle of sweat rolls down my masked cheek. This was not good. The numbers are dialed and the transmission is sent.

Requesting reinforcements.

When the Commander alerted me to the fact that Samus Aran had landed recently, I did not understand the many problems that her presence presented. Then the Commander was kind enough to inform me, blaming my inexperience for my ignorance. Then, mere minutes ago, our security systems picked up two intruders, one of whom was holding technology similar to that of the Hunter's power suit.

The Commander quickly deemed this situation to be dangerous in our current position, saying that we were not prepared to fend off a full scale attack headed by Samus Aran. So he had the brilliant idea of calling the one person who would come at the mention of her name. And he would come with such murderous intent that it would make Gaara seem docile.

My name is Amenoa Burish, or Dr. Burish, and I am the head scientist of this expedition. I am not like most Space Pirates…I am not insectoid like them…but I have earned my place here. Which is fortunate, considering they normally kill anyone not of their predominant species. Only those with exceptional abilities are allowed to make this exception. There aren't very many. I was chosen for my knowledge of the IES network essential for this expedition; I am also a favorite among the higher-ups, explaining my promotion to head scientist. They feel that I may be able to counter Samus's attacks; I don't quite see their logic. Getting on the crew was harder than I thought…but saving the Commander from a mutiny was enough to solidify my place here.

I said earlier that only those with exceptional abilities could be a non-insect Pirate. The one we are calling happens to be another…his ability? Power…so much so that he is the leader of the Space Pirates, the undisputed head of the new empire.

Ridley. I became one of his favorites after I questioned one of his orders. I did not know at the time that such an action would usually result in a painful death. Which is why I really did not want him to come here. No one on the ship did, but he was the only good option. I tuned out the conversation between the Commander and Ridley; I knew what was coming anyway.

Tomorrow…he'd be here by tomorrow. Perhaps now I'll get the chance to thank him for not killing me…

Hm…

I hate all of them…every last one…

I pity the people here…for he is truly terrifying…

And I don't terrify easily…

-T-T-T-T-

The time has finally come…

Shikamaru asked me to call Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Kabuto, Kakashi, Guy, Temari, Kankuro, Sasuke, Neji, Naruto and Samus Aran to this meeting. Though I should call it a briefing. When Kakashi finally shows up, I stand and start.

"I have already told you all what this meeting is about. Shikamaru finally has a plan to save the captured ninja. Shikamaru?" I sit as Shikamaru takes the floor.

"Thank you. Due to the recent contributions made by Samus Aran do we finally have enough information to raise the chance of success from 15 to 75 percent. The plan is simple," he lays the hologram out for all to see. During his talk with Samus he must have switched the disks, this one was more responsive and could turn and swivel if needed. "The basic idea is diversion. There will be five groups each will have their own task. Group One will be led by Jiraiya and will have at least 50 high-level ninja to back him up." He turns to Jiraiya, "Your job is to distract and lure as many space pirates out as you can to the Eastern side of their base." An orange arrow shows Jiraiya's path.

Turning to Orochimaru, "Orochimaru is leader of group Two, your job is similar to Jiraiya's, only your group will have a much greater role nearer to the end of the mission which I will explain later. In the beginning, however, you are simply to work with Jiraiya with distraction." A black arrow joins the orange.

"Groups Three and Four will be led by Tsunade and Kabuto respectively. Your job will be to infiltrate the base and rescue the prisoners. The entrance points you will take are located on the Southwestern side, and you will go in after groups One and Two have caused enough havoc." Purple and yellow arrows show our entry point. Once inside they split and connect to two blinking red dots, then converge and exit the base. "You will have to be quick; each of you will find a cell and rescue the ninja, then exit through the Northern openings instead of backtracking." The black arrow starts to move toward the other two arrows. "This is where group Two's main job starts; making sure that groups Three and Four get out safely."

"Group Five will be led by Kakashi and Guy, their job is to destroy the ship, taking the same route as groups Three and Four." A green arrow finishes the plan. Shikamaru turns to Kabuto and I, "Your groups will be the smallest, and consist of at least two other medic-nin and should exceed no more than five ninja total."

"That doesn't seem like enough to save the people inside, what if they can't move on their own? They'd leave us vulnerable." I asked.

"Based on Samus's tests on Naruto when he escaped, he was sedated. Bring plenty of soldier pills for everyone; that will give them the energy to get here." I nod in agreement. Guy speaks up,

"So that's why we're doing damage, to keep them from chasing us so the prisoners have time to recoup. Brilliant!" He smiles, the twinkle nearly blinding me.

"Why did you call US here?" Neji asks in a no-nonsense tone. I assumed he was speaking of all the lower ranked ninja. Shikamaru turns to them.

"Temari and Kankuro are going to be long range support. Once groups Three and Four break out, you two will be keeping any pursuers back that slip through group Two's defenses. Neji, Sasuke, you will be group Three and Four's eyes. You are to guide them through as well as keep watch for any enemies that will show up to stop the rescue. Naruto you will be in Jiraiya's group along with Samus; from what Samus has told me, he will attract many Pirates, which is perfect for this operation. I will let you chose your own teams. We will start at noon, and should be finished by 3 or 4. That is all."

I perked up, a smile on my face. "All right we're done, rally your troops and get them ready, we start tomorrow!"

It's about time we hit back!

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

PLEASE REVIEW!!

**Next Time: The Counterattack Begins! Operation Piercing Wind!!**

A/N: Please review and give feedback, what do you think?Honestly, this Chapter was hard. But again, I really am just bad at transitions. The action should pick up as the story moves along. Also, I know Samus' true identity, but no one else in the story does.


	5. Operation

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Metroid. There I said it.

A/N: This story takes place after the Sasuke retrieval arc and after the events of Metroid Prime.

PLEASE REVIEW!! I need to see how well (or not) I'm doing; please review!!

Thank you to**BOM333**, **Helcion Pheonix**, **Shining Pheonix**, **g 52 goodman**, **Kishoto** (or Cliff), and **last stand** for reviewing!!I really appreciate your comments. I've added who's POV it is to the story, but only for characters that have been introduced, hope that works. Thanks again!!

**-**x**-**x**-**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

**Blood of the Chozo**

V: Operation

-Naruto-

I've never been on a battlefield before.

Sure, I've fought others before, but it was me and my teammates and that's it. I've never fought alongside so many fellow ninja against so many enemies before. I find myself watching Space Pirates get slaughtered more than anything, and whenever I had a chance, it felt so…it just didn't seem as awesome as what some of the others were doing. Jiraiya's going nuts with his toads; crushing and slicing Pirates left and right like a berserker. Others are using jutsus I've never seen before to effectively destroy the invaders.

I was jumping around the battleground, constantly checking for any Pirates to kill, when I landed in an opening. I see Samus surrounded by three Space Pirates, and he still seems so calm about it. I prepare myself to jump in and help when he strikes. Jumping backwards, he twists and slams a foot into one's head. Less than a second after, he fires an energy shot that rips through another. Right after that, while still in mid-air, he thrusts his fist out at the last Pirate. What looked like a stream of lightning shot out and grabbed the Pirate. Yanking back on the beam, Samus sends it tumbling toward him. He crushes it under his heel, not a scratch on him.

Before I have a chance to cheer for him, he shoots a ball of ice toward me. I roll out of the way, letting the attack hit a Pirate about to lob my head off. I have just enough time to see a missile about to collide with an ice statue of the Pirate before it shattered into pieces. I hear something land next to me. This time, I finally get to lodge a kunai in the freak's neck. It gargles a bit before it…tries to cut me in half. Samus, once again, jumps in and pushes the Pirate back while using my kunai to finish slicing off its head.

He hands the kunai back when we notice that five more Pirates have surrounded us. I look over at Samus…who isn't there anymore. I briefly look down to see an orange ball about a foot and a half in diameter drop something round…and beeping. I watch the ball morph back into Samus, confused by how the heck he just did that. He wraps his arm around my waist and jumps. I can only look down as the Pirates are blown away by the explosion Samus must have placed there while in that ball form.

So much just happened at once that I almost miss what Samus says, "Stay focused; the enemy isn't going to wait for you to get serious." We land and he lets go, almost immediately firing his cannon again at unlucky Pirates.

I set my sights on one, form some clones and jump right in.

-Dr. Burish-

"Send Squads 15 through 24 out to combat the rebels. Remember, capture them if possible. Move it, move it, move it!!" I hear the commander yell into the room. I could hardly stand this…he was such an idiot.

"There aren't enough squads on the inside to protect the power sources as it is. Why are you sending more?" I ask in a calm, even tone. Have I mentioned how difficult it is to speak their language? If I didn't have the help I have right now, I'd be screwed…for lack of a better term.

"Because they have nearly breached the eastern entrances, we have to keep them out until General Ridley arrives." He answers in a shut-up-you-don't-know-anything tone. I could try and reason with him; to get him to understand how stupid he's being…but that is not my place.

…

Right about…now.

"Sir, the radar has been jammed!!" One of the controllers exclaim. Just to add more fun to the situation…joy. A curse jumped out of the Commander's throat before another could speak up.

"Sir, the squads are requesting back up." The Commander replies with a string of curses. He stands, apparently having made up his mind and says,

"If you want a job done, you've got to do it yourself."

I half-heartedly attempt to stop him, "There are still plenty of squads left to send out, why risk your life so soon?" Of course, he ignores me.

"I'm leaving Squads 65 and 66 to stay on board, and bringing the rest with me." He grunts and rushes out the door. Well, that just leaves one more out of the way.

…

I think its time I proceed.

I wonder how they'll like Space Pirate…

-Naruto-

Exoskeletons hurt…

I thought it would be a good idea to punch a few. A few bloody knuckles later I wish I hadn't. It took me a bit of running and dodging to figure out how to actually do some damage. I had seen it done several times…the joints. I didn't have to kill them (even if I could…), I just had to keep them from being a threat.

So, trusty kunai in hand, I set to work hacking off as many limbs as I could. My clones (who could actually punch and NOT get hurt) caught on and followed suit.

While slicing off a head of a Pirate, I hear a bird call. I smile.

Phase two is underway. I see Samus sprint toward the base, blasting pursuing Pirates. Suddenly, the Pirates stop, but Samus continues on.

"We need to keep these guys off Samus so he can open the doors for Groups Three and Four." Shikamaru states in his usual bored-or-serious tone. "You got that Naruto?" I just realize that Shikamaru was keeping the Pirates in place.

"Got it." I reply, sending clones in to finish the job. Shikamaru releases his jutsu just before they start cutting off limbs. Shikamaru runs after Samus, I follow a few seconds later.

As soon as I get there, Shikamaru leaves me to the task of protecting Samus. And of course, as soon as he leaves, five more Pirates show up.

These guys just don't know when to quit…

-Sasuke-

Tsunade crumples the metal doors like paper. Only solidifying my fear of ever getting on her bad side. After the door is neatly tossed aside, Neji and I dash in, the medic nin rushing in a few seconds after us.

Our job was to make sure their job went smoothly. Groups One and Two were obviously doing a good job of luring the Pirates to the other side of the ship; we haven't encountered a single enemy yet.

"I got this one." Neji states coolly, pushing slightly ahead. I doesn't take me long to figure out that he had spotted a Pirate. The pirate notices Neji a moment too late as his abdomen is split in two across its waist. Neji, being one of the few Hyuga left, had made it a mission of his to strengthen the Hyuga style of combat to be effective against these insects. Before the exoskeleton blocked their attacks from reaching the chakra points, or even the organs; now, Neji simply aims for weaker points in the armor, and applies more chakra to the attack.

Another Pirate notices us, quickly shooting lasers at us. I beat it quickly with a blast of fire; which is one of the reasons I was so good at reconnaissance. Bugs hate fire.

A few stray Pirates later, we come to the fork in the hallway. Neji leads Kabuto's group to the left, while I take Tsunade's group right.

-Naruto-

After I finished them off, I walk over to Samus. He had barely moved throughout this entire scene.

"Hey."

He doesn't answer.

"What are you doing just standing there?"

No answer.

"HEY, I'M ASKING YO--."

"I am hacking into the ships mainframe, and shutting off the energy fields keeping your friends captive. You should be making sure I'm not interrupted."

"That's what I'm doing! The least you could say is thank you for keeping all those Pirates back." I was doing my job, there weren't any left. Samus aims his cannon arm behind him and fires a bolt of electricity. My hair stood on end as it blasted by me…and hit something.

I turn to see what he hit, when I see a Space Pirate appear out of nowhere, convulsing from the electric attack. I have a clone cut off its head before it poofed away.

"Cloaking device. They are called Shadow Pirates. Another thing, saying 'thank you' on a battlefield is pointless. We save each others lives as much as we can, if we stopped to say thanks every time our lives were saved, we'd be dead, wasting the 'thank you'." I hear something blip before he turns and continues. "The satisfaction of saving one's life is enough. Why do you think I stay in this business?"

This is another one of those moments where I wish I could see his face. Words are meaningless without a face behind them…

He stops and looks up at the sky, growls, then starts talking, but not to me.

"Shikamaru, we have a problem."

I look up to try to see what he saw. I don't see anything.

-Neji-

"We've arrived at the cell." Before Kabuto could finish his sentence, the barriers keeping the prisoners in disappeared. We go through all the cells, getting people ready to move. As I go through the cells, I notice one person missing.

"Kabuto, have you seen Gaara?" I ask loud enough for him to hear me.

"No." He answers before putting a hand to his ear, "Tsunade, is Gaara with you?"

A pause.

"Got it." Another pause, a slight movement of his fingers, "Shikamaru, Gaara isn't here. Have Samus run a scan to find him."

I swear I hear 'how troublesome' before Kabuto gets back to work helping ninja to their feet and healing them if needed. I take the opportunity to scan the area myself; it shouldn't be hard to find him. I spot a mass of energy below us.

"I think I found Gaara."

Kabuto seemingly ignores me and puts his hand back up to his ear, "Understood." He looks at me, "Samus found him also." I hear a voice on Kabuto's earpiece, but I can't decipher any words. Kabuto listens.

"Great…Looks like we have even less time than we thought." He tosses me a bag of soldier pills, "We're going to have to skip right to just getting them out of here. When our groups meet back up, you and Tsunade are going to get Gaara. Let's move people! We have two minutes!"

"What is going on?" One of the medics ask.

"Seems that they've brought reinforcements."

-Naruto-

"There are many Pirates coming out of the Eastern side to fight Jiraiya's forces, they seem to be neglecting our rescue teams inside. But now we have a new problem…" Shikamaru whines. Though, I think he actually has a right to this time. All of us are looking up at the ship closing in on our destination.

"It's not very large…only one or two squads could be on board." Samus states.

"That shouldn't be a problem…right?" I ask, hoping for the best.

"Possibly, it depends entirely on who's in the ship…" He finishes early, like he didn't want to finish the sentence. I press for answers,

"Who could be in there that we couldn't handle?"

Suddenly, a cross between a screech and a roar shatters through the skies. I barely notice Samus charging his cannon. All three of us are in shock at what could've made the noise…but I think that Samus already knows.

"What…was that?" I ask.

"It doesn't sound good…" Shikamaru adds.

"It isn't…get ready…" Samus replies.

"For what?" I have a knack for asking the questions that no one wants to hear the answer for. I see part of the ship break and spin down toward the ground. I look back up and…I close my eyes and look again.

I see…what I can only describe as a black…reptile…with wings. Its skin reflected light like the sun shining on a kunai. It had four limbs, each with four large claws, two yellowish-black bat-like wings, a demon-like spear-tipped tail, and head like a pterodactyl only with a set of razor sharp teeth, two horns on the top and a set of yellow eyes. The fact that I could detail all that from this far away must mean he's…he's…

It sounds its cry once more and his mouth downward. A stream of fire bursts out of his mouth and splashes below him. I realize that the breath is really plasma, as the five or six ninja that got caught in the blast were nowhere to be found. Who is this…this monster?

"Ridley…the Space Dragon, leader of the Space Pirates." Keeping his eyes on Ridley, he continues, "Shikamaru, we need to retreat, Ridley will annihilate anyone he feels like. I'll try and hold him off." I see Ridley turn his gaze toward us, "GO! GET OUT OF HERE!!"

"We can't just leave you here to fight that…thing!" I turn to Shikamaru for support. He opens his eyes, apparently he was in thought.

"The mission must succeed if we hope to survive, sorry Naruto, but I'm taking his advice." I gawk at him as he jumps away, hand to his ear and shouting something. Then I hear another roar from Ridley, but it had a very distinct call.

"SAAAAAMUUUUUUS!" Halfway through turning around, Samus is already firing like crazy.

By the time I finish; the witness the sheer size of Ridley. Easily four times taller than Zabuza (and Samus), each of his claws were at least three feet in length.

I felt very small…

I'm really glad I went to the bathroom before coming today…

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

PLEASE REVIEW!!

**Next Time: Complete the Mission! Fight Against the Space Dragon!**

A/N: Please review and give feedback, what do you think?Honestly, this Chapter was hard at first but gradually got more fun. Also, I know Samus' true identity, but no one else in the story does.


	6. Reinforcements

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Metroid. There I said it.

A/N: This story takes place after the Sasuke retrieval arc and after the events of Metroid Prime.

PLEASE REVIEW!! I need to see how well (or not) I'm doing; please review!!

Thank you to **Helcion Pheonix**, **Shining Pheonix**, **g 52 goodman**, **BOM333**, **Super Goat Grl **and **PerrinUzumaki** for reviewing!!I really appreciate your comments. As for Ridley's position of 'leader'…I did some research (through the games and online) and found that Ridley is simply a high-ranking officer (like general), but not the leader. The Space Pirate HQ will come into play later in the story, but as far as Samus's comment from the last chapter, let's just say she paraphrased for 'leader of the SP army' which is a position I think he holds. Nice Catch. Thanks again!!

Also, Sorry for the late late late update. My life went hectic and is finally settling down. Also, I'm working with Dail-up and cursed Parental Controls that conveniently blocks my logging on, but THAT IS NO EXCUSE!!! I WILL KEEP ON UPDATING, EVEN IF IT MEANS KILLING MYSELF!!!!!! (Ok, maybe not that…) So, Anyway there may be a few grammar errors, so bear with me. I did the best I could.

**Warning: Language in this chapter is slightly more sailor (worse**);** you have been warned.**

PLEASE REVIEW!

**-**x**-**x**-**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

**Blood of the Chozo**

VI: Reinforcements

-Naruto-

I get back on my feet as fast as I can. I see Samus firing like crazy at the beast. He had just pushed us away from Ridley's first attack, once again saving my life. The Dragon doesn't even seem to care about me, as all of his ferocious attacks are focused on Samus. Samus deftly dodges each attack and fires round after round of energy shots. These shots don't seem to do much damage though, as Ridley doesn't even slow down when hit.

I finally notice why; his body is armored…but the armor seemed flexible as well, judging by the speed of its attacks.

Suddenly, four missiles come out of the thing's back and fly toward Samus. He fires a few plasma shots into the air. Halfway through their flight, the missiles redirect toward the shots, eventually running into them and blowing up. How did he know they'd do that?

Ridley charges at Samus as the missiles explode. Samus leaps into the air, firing a combination of a charged shot and a missile. That actually phased Ridley for a second, but it still didn't do any damage! What can stop this guy? Ridley takes to the skies as Samus lands on a tree branch. He jumps just as Ridley chops the tree in half.

Now Ridley is right above Samus in mid-air. He swipes a claw but it doesn't hit; Samus had quickly converted into the ball from earlier. I see the same beeping bomb come out and lodge itself in a chink in Ridley's armor, between its chest and shoulder. He then reverts back and jumps off of Ridley toward the ground before it can strike back. Ridley tries to catch up to Samus.

**BOOM!!**

I feel the burst of wind rush past me as a cloud of smoke shields my vision. I see Ridley fall to the ground, and for the smallest fraction of a second, I thought Samus had won. As the smoke clears, Ridley gets back upright without much trouble, the attack only catching it by surprise if anything.

Ridley stands menacingly still, moving his head ever so slightly. Samus was nowhere to be found. Ridley seemed to chuckle.

"Hiding, are we? That's unlike you Samus…" It said in a deep, growling, extremely unpleasant voice, but otherwise clear speech. "You should know by now…not to hide from ME!!" At the end of this sentence, a stream of plasma erupted out of its mouth. Ridley turned 360 degrees, incinerating all the trees in the immediate area. Thankfully, I was far enough away not to get fried.

Before I could even worry about if Samus survived the attack or not, he lands in front of Ridley and fires another combination shot. Ridley charges yet again, and I notice that the fight is moving closer to my position, so I jump a few wary yards back.

Samus fires another few shots, and was driving Ridley back! At least that was what I thought, if I had been paying more attention I would've seen the things it was dropping while stepping back. Then it stopped…and grinned.

Five pillars of plasma erupted from the ground, surrounding Samus. I could see him about to jump when a falling, spinning plasma disk closed off that route. That left only one opening; and Ridley charged claw-first to block that entrance, primed to skewer Samus in the process. Myself and some clones were already trying to make it there to help him in time…but I knew we wouldn't make it.

The next moment I see Samus twirl out of the burning trap, only grazing by Ridley's claw to escape. And by 'grazing', I mean completely ripping through the side of his armor. Ridley then swats him into a nearby tree. He wasn't getting up. I finally notice…the blood gushing out of his left side. Ridley is closing in, I have to DO something!!

-Samus-

I scream at my body to move as Ridley steps closer, but nothing's responding. Could this actually be the end?

"Your head will make a fine trophy…" Ridley says; drawing back his claw for the final blow.

"NO WAY!!" I hear Naruto say as he jumps between me and Ridley. Ridley doesn't hesitate to skewer him and toss him aside…only when he stabbed, Naruto turned into smoke…what?

"What?!" Ridley voices my thoughts. He looks around to find Naruto, still not turning away from me. "Is that all? Pathetic…"

Naruto appears right in front of Ridley, "I'll show YOU pathetic!!" with a swirling blue orb in his hand, "RASENGAN!!" which he thrust at Ridley's chest. After a second of impact, Ridley is thrown back several yards, but still manages to stay on his feet.

"Interesting…but otherwise useless." Ridley taunts. I almost wish Naruto had just stayed out of this fight…I can only hope that he doesn't die.

-Dr. Burish-

There…all done.

I step over the shell of a Space Pirate to get to the screen in the front of the windshield. I push a few buttons, I have to speak…with him.

The screen flickers to life, showing a figure in orange and red slumped against a tree, and another orange figure who I know all too well…Naruto. I must be seeing what Ridley is seeing.

"What do you want Burish?" Ridley asks in the Space Pirate tongue.

"I simply want to recommend that you don't kill the boy in front of you." I state emotionlessly, it's my trademark…

"And why not?"

"Out of all the power sources we had, that boy had more energy then most of them combined. With him alive, we can bring him to Zebes and continue experimentation without the interference of the natives here."

"Again, Why?" Ridley is getting impatient…

"Space Pirate HQ shows interest in that boy and his potential. Kill him and you loose favor, capture him and you gain it, simple as that." Ridley growls.

"It seems that they have taken a liking to your species as of late, Burish…first you and now this kid. If it wasn't for their constant 'commands', I would've killed you on sight…now I have to let this kid live too? GAH! They're seriously cramping my style…"

"I'll pick him up when you're done, Burish out."

"Screw you."

He's so pleasant…

I open the window and jump out; don't need the others to see me…

-Tsunade-

Turns out that Gaara didn't like the Pirate's hospitality…he had broken out of his…container, just before we entered the room where he was being held. However, Gaara fell unconscious when Neji and I got to him; Soldier Pills wouldn't work here. After picking him up, Neji led the way out, no problem.

The problems started as soon as we ran out of the Pirate base.

"Report!" I hear Shikamaru in my ear. Sounds like he just finished fighting more Space Pirates. I hear the Snake in my ear, didn't know this was an open connection…

"Seems Jiraiya can't handle the bugs by himself, and now I've been dragged into this. They have us surrounded."

"Yeah, but if you had just listened to me in the first place, you wouldn't be stuck with me! How's that for irony?!" Jiraiya butts in, I swear he sounds just like Naruto…

"The me helping you part or the me not listening to you part?" Orichimaru stabs back. I hear Shikamaru's groan,

"How troublesome…"

"The Rescue is a success. Every ninja is out of the base, save for Kakashi and Guy. It sounds like more ninja are needed with the Snake and Perv."

"Send Neji and Sasuke over to help, otherwise continue with the plan."

"We'll be over shortly, we're almost done here." Kakashi adds.

"Good, let's finish this. Shikamaru out." I tell Neji his orders and he dashes off.

That's when I hear a roar…

-Samus-

Naruto sends in clones from all around, trying to get a hit off on Ridley. He simply roars and slices at any that get close.

"Is this the best you can do?!! This is CHILD'S PLAY!!" I hear a tree bend and begin to fall. Ridley turns to see a tree about to land on him, but he doesn't have to dodge. He grabs the tree and flings it back to where it came, knocking a few more clones out in the process. Ridley 'smiles', if you could call it that; the Naruto's are gone. All of them were clones.

"Where are you?" He unleashes a blast of plasma in his search. Ridley prepares to take flight when several Naruto appear under him.

"RIGHT HERE!! NA-" Ridley is kicked into the air, "RU-" again, "TO-" and again. A Naruto appears in the air above him, ready to kick him back down. "UZUMAAAhhhhh."

Ridley catches his leg and throws him back down to the ground instead. A small crater forms from the impact…and I still can't move!!

-Naruto-

"Grrr, I've hit him with everything! Kunai, Shadow clones, Taijutsu, even the Rasengan didn't work! If I'm even going to put a scratch on this guy, I need more power!"

I call on the fox to give me chakra…

Nothing happens.

I call again, watching the world around me in slow motion, particularly Ridley about to land on me…

Nothing.

What is wrong?!

_**"Your bird friend is really annoying. Get him out of your head so I can save your miserable hide!"**_

I find myself outside of his cage in my mind…

_"Nice to see you well, Naruto."_ States White Eagle. I would be happy to see him under any other circumstance.

"Do you know what Ridley is about to do to me? You need to get out so I can get to the fox!!" White Eagle slight smirk from before vanishes for a serious look.

_"I am here to warn you--"_

"I don't have time for th--"

_"YOU WILL MAKE TIME FOOLISH YOUNG CHOZO!"_ He suddenly seemed a lot more intimidating…he continued. _"You cannot defeat evil with evil; using this demon's power in the way you plan will only backfire."_

"But I was only planning on using enough to beat Ridley."

_"Yes, those are your motives; but you forget that there are two minds that decide how much power is given."_

"Huh?"

_"This demon is shrewd, do not let him trick you out of your own soul."_

"I've used his power enough times to know that."

_"or your mind…"_

"It's fine, now please move to I can save myself." I walk past him to the cage, ready to take the foxes power. I still feel the Chozo's gaze on me.

_"Fine, do as you will. Perhaps then you will see what I am talking about. And the consequences that your decision holds."_ As the red chakra wraps around me, he says, _"remember, your goal is to keep him occupied; not to beat him."_

"Wait, why can't I beat him?"

_"You can't…"_

I'm thrown back into the real world before I have a chance to press further. That guy needs to work on his pep talks. Of Course I can beat this guy! And I WILL!

-Samus-

Ridley smashes into the ground where Naruto was milliseconds earlier. But he dodged. I don't need a scanner to tell me that his body is surging with newfound energy. Ridley can see it too…I can't tell if he's pleased or annoyed.

A clone appears and forms his Rasengan.

"This again? You need more moves if you hope to beat me!" Ridley charges. Naruto dodges at the last moment and slams the Rasengan into his chin in a ferocious uppercut. Ridley is clearly stunned and is sent airborne as Naruto pulls out two kunai. They begin to glow red as Ridley spreads his wings and releases a roar,

"Now you've done it!! I don't care if HQ wants you alive. THERE WON"T BE ANYTHING LEFT WHEN I'M DONE WITH YOU!!!" Ridley fires several heat-seekers and charges him.

Naruto forms clones and splits up. A few run into a missile to destroy it harmlessly, others let it chase them until they are close to Ridley, then let it detonate. Ridley lands, his missiles destroyed, his metallic skin losing it's sheen. Naruto attacks, diving through one of Ridley's wings. Naruto lands, turns, and strikes again, slicing through Ridley's wings like paper. Ridley is too stunned to keep up and I'm too stunned to try and even move…

He's damaging Ridley…that is not easy to do. However, Naruto better stop his attack before…

"ENOUGH!" Ridley slams a claw into Naruto, pinning him to the ground. "Nice try." He drags his claw back, tearing through the ground and Naruto, before throwing him. Four huge gashes form on Naruto's torso as he flies straight through five trees, eventually slamming into the hull of the pirate base. My scanners showed that he fell unconscious AFTER hitting the wall.

Ridley readies himself to finish him off. I aim my cannon at his back…I can't let Naruto die.

"You, BASTARD!" I hear a woman call. Ridley looks up before his head is slammed into the ground from a massive kick, followed by a second kick that nearly buries his head under ground. She grabs his horns, pulls him up and punches him back into the ground. She then kicks him back a good fifty feet, which is quite a feat considering how heavy Ridley is.

I finally get a good look at Naruto's savior.

…

You know, I had wondered how she had achieved the top position in their village, but now it makes perfect sense.

Tsunade stands between Ridley and Naruto ready to fight.

She looks reaaally pissed.

-Dr. Burish-

I watch Ridley get creamed by Tsunade…and I almost find myself smiling. I look down at Naruto. He had a few minutes at most to live. I must save him, or everyone will lose. I radio to Ridley,

"Mission Complete." I lift Naruto back to the cockpit. I stop the bleeding the only way I can at the moment, pressure and sedatives to slow the blood flow.

…

Hm…

Seems one of my pets has been spotted.

I don't have much time.

-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-

_Do you think it was wise to save him?_

_Of Course, He will see to it that The Chosen One is safe. His control of his emotions makes him the perfect candidate._

_It is not HIS emotions I am worried about…_

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

PLEASE REVIEW!!

**Next Time: Captured! Identity Revealed!**

A/N: Please review and give feedback, what do you think? This chapter took forever and I'm not even sure if I did it well. The two and a half month break from writing really didn't help. The last part is just something that I want you (the reader) to know, but noone in the story can really say. Also, I know Samus' true identity, but no one else in the story does, but they will soon!


	7. Problems

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Metroid. There I said it.

A/N: This story takes place after the Sasuke retrieval arc and after the events of Metroid Prime.

PLEASE REVIEW!! I need to see how well (or not) I'm doing; please review!!

Thank you to **Blaine2**, **Reform Joms**, **hmmn..**, **Kishoto**, **Navar Darkblade**, and **Madness Lover** for reviewing!!I really appreciate your comments. I know that update speed is important, and I am trying my best to get these out quickly without doing them badly. Everyone has excuses, I'm not going to bore you with mine. Also, If you have any suggestions, please do not hesitate to say them! They help immensely and really could add to the reading enjoyment. Obviously, I can't just change the story to 3rd person now, but if you have any ideas on making this style better, let me know, please! I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks again!!

PLEASE REVIEW!

**-**x**-**x**-**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

VII: Problems:

-Kakashi-

I watch the beetle scurry away through a crack in the ceiling, a beetle that looked very familiar…

Guy and I leave the other ninja to handle the lower floors to check out the cockpit and do some damage there. On the way I notice several other beetles along the ceiling, blending almost perfectly with their metal surroundings.

"You noticing the bugs Kakashi?" Guy states instead of asking. He knows I've been noticing them. "They look familiar, don't they?" There's the question.

"They do…I just hope they aren't what I think they are."

"Do you think that…someone could actually…"

"Betray the village…or our race?" I finish for him. "Depends…We don't know their motive. Either way, it would explain how the villages have fallen so quickly."

"Then does it matter what the motive was? This…traitor is selling us out, how can that be excused?"

-Tsunade-

I scan the area; Samus seemingly unconscious next to a tree, a line of broken trees behind me, with Naruto on the other side, and this beast in front of me, still recovering from my attack. I wish I could run to Naruto, from here I can see the amount of blood he's losing. I won't be able to live with myself if I can't save him either...

But I'm trapped, I won't have time to help Naruto. The beast is still alive, and he'll attack as soon as I start. Samus needs help as well, and again, I can't help him. The beast roars.

So, all I have to do is beat this guy quickly...shouldn't be too much of a problem. I subconsciously crack my knuckles, I guess its just turned into a habit when I'm about to kick someone's...well, you know.

It rushes at me, swiping a claw in hopes to cut me in half. I duck and slam my elbow into his chest, I see cracks starting to form in its armor. I jump away, my arm jerking from the impact. I feel blood trickling down my arm. This guy has his bases covered; overwhelming power, tough defense, surprising speed... and frankly, that's something he's going to need if he wants to keep up with me. I heal my elbow and ready myself for the next attack.

He tries a different tactic, swiping quickly and constantly moving. I noticed that he was constantly shifting his chest. Apparently, he doesn't want to get hit there. I duck and dodge his attacks, occasionally throwing slow punches or kicks for his chest. He twirls and swings his tail at me. I had forgotten about the tail! I don't have time to dodge, so I do the only other logical thing.

I grab it.

I see his eyes widen as I smirk. Still holding the tail, I twist and kick it at full power. The tail breaks, as fragments of metal and wires fly free; I realize that this is some sort of machine or something. I tear the tail completely off, and the beast howls; though I can't tell if it is out of pain or anger. Ninja instincts kick in as I quickly jump away to a tree branch (still holding the tail) as he tries to hit me with a blast of fire. When he sees that he missed, he turns and fires missiles straight at me.

I don't have time for this... I jump down and speed towards him. He swipes a claw downward, but I block with his tail. In the next moment, my fist is sailing for his chest. Somehow, he's able to skid back before my attack can connect. We end up in a standoff... I'm running out of time.

I'm getting tired of this freak...

-Kakashi-

We reach the cockpit, the door was already open. I walk in, my foot kicking the shell of a space pirate, several beetles crawl out. There were at three others like this one in the room.

"Something isn't right..." I look to the window...it was open. I am about to head toward it when a swarm of beetles crawl in. Someone leaps in. He's covered from head to toe in a suit of black armor, not unlike Samus' suit. Panels all around his wrists were open, bugs flowing in and out of them. His helmet didn't look as protective as the rest of him, two round black visors served as his eyes.

The panels in his right wrist close and he speaks.

"If you'll excuse me." I didn't have time to react and he raises him arm and fires a blast of light at me. I fly into Guy and back through the open door. I try to get up, but nothing moves fast enough. I see Guy recover quickly and throw a kunai into the room. The door starts to slide shut.

"Dynamic Entry!!" I hear my over-enthusiastic partner yell as he flies into the room, the door closing behind him.

-Guy-

With my too-cool-for-school rival out of the picture, it's up to me to take action. As I dynamically enter the room, I see my kunai flying right for me! I twirl and land in my classic stance and stare down my opponent.

"Who are you?" I ask with my most stern face.

"Someone on a mission." He presses a button behind him, the windows open, but nothing else happens. I keep my eyes on him, just in case he is trying to catch me off guard.

"And what mission would that be, Hm?"

"To deliver a package."

I see a wave of beetles about to crash down on me, I jump out of the way,

"You'll have to do better than that if you want to catch me!!"

"I don't have to..." he's behind me! No matter!

"Leaf Hurricane!!" I send a kick straight for him...but before my attack can hit, I am blasted by the same attack that hit Kakashi. I fall back and try to regain my senses, only to find myself flying out the window. As I'm falling I see a cloud of beetles hovering just under the window. On top of it is...Naruto!!

"NARUTO!!" I call, he doesn't respond. The fiend has Naruto! Then, something worse happened. Naruto was pulled inside, the windows shut and...the cockpit detached from the rest of the ship. The sound of engines starting nearly freeze my burning heart. I nearly shout into the communicator.

"The Pirates have captured Naruto and are attempting to escape!!"

-Ridley-

I'm getting tired of this freak...

She's good, real good. Almost as much of a nuisance as Samus. All I have to do is hit her once and she'll be finished...especially with the surprise laced on my claws...

Dr. Burish speaks in my head, "Mission Complete." Good, I want to get off this pile of feces as soon as I can. I press a button on my wrist. A few moments pass, Dr. Burish calls in again, "I am taking Naruto to Zebes, I will meet you there. Burish out."

My ship hovers above me, may as well say farewell to the meatbag...

"I'm going to have to cut this short, I'm not needed here any more." I see a look of horror on the woman's face. I didn't think it was THAT scary. She turns and dashes away to the base as I jump into my ship. I see the cockpit of the base detaching and lifting off as I clear the tree line.

As much as I hate him, that Burish sure knows how to get a job done. The Commander of the base radio's in.

"Where are you going, sir? We are losing numbers and need reinforcements!"

"You called ME for backup, not my troops. Thank you for giving me something to do on my day off."

"WHAT?!"

"Have a nice afterlife." I manually turn off my communications system, which is somewhat difficult when they put it IN YOUR HEAD. As I continue making preparations, I notice the female I was fighting running up the wall of the base...

-Tsunade-

You are NOT getting away!

I reach the top of the base and jump onto the ship that holds Naruto. However, I just miss the side of the ship, and I fall back down.

"I've got you!" A heroic voice calls. Then, Guy grabs my arm, swings and throws me back into the air. This time, I'm able to catch the side of the ship and hang on with chakra. I raise a fist and slam it down into...a bunch of bugs? I feel my chakra grip slipping; I'm losing chakra! I recognize the beetles and quickly run up the side to the front of the ship. I look through the windshield and see the pilot, but before I can find Naruto he turns the ship upside down. With only a little chakra left to hold me to the ship and beetles closing in on me, I prepare to hammer the windshield with all my might.

But before my fists hit the windshield, the ship rockets upwards, inertia keeping my attack from getting through. Then, the ship drops, slamming me into the ship. The ship turns right-side up. I lose my grip...

I fall...

-Jiraiya-

"Gamabunta! Catch Tsunade on your way down!"

"Got it! Just get that kid back!"

I jump off Gamabunta and land on the ship, noticing the beetles immediately. I dash to the front, forming a Rasengan along the way. I stop and plunge the sphere toward the ship. My arm stops; the ship is spinning, I just need to hit the ship! My hand inches closer and closer to the hull. I'm sliding backwards, it takes me a few moments to realize that the ship was heading down. The next moment, my Rasengan barely touches the ship, leaving a small imprint. The next, I get hit by a tree.

I recover as best I can after hitting a pine at a blistering speed, and jump to the tree tops, searching for Gamabunta. I see him lashing his tongue out, trying to catch the speedy ship like a fly. The ship proves to be a challenge for the toad, but finally gets it on the fourth try.

"Good job, Gama--" The rest of the name is cut off by another ship rushing by me, shooting blasts of energy at Gamabunta's tongue. He wails in pain and let's go of the ship, and the two shoot into the sky.

Lost...

-Shikamaru-

Back in the Sound village, many are celebrating. The Pirates are gone, the prisoners have returned...and...the demon is gone.

"Report." I say as my mind wanders to other things. I know what they are going to say. The mission was almost a complete success...almost. Unforeseen factors rose and threw the plan somewhat awry, but the main goal was accomplished; save the imprisoned ninja at the Pirate base.

All the Pirates had been killed, none were spared. Luckily, we had no fatalities; some minor injuries mostly. The base was beyond repair and is being dismantled as this debriefing meeting continues. The parts will be of great use to us, and who knows, perhaps we will gain some new technology. The rescued ninja are feeling better already, however all of them are undergoing a quick check up...just in case.

This all went well...but. There were two major losses. Samus Aran was in Critical condition...and Naruto had been captured...

And...perhaps another great loss...he had been captured by a traitor...

Tsunade is working on Samus. It took some convincing, but she agreed to help her under one condition...We'll have to wait and see how that turns out.

The meeting ends, I don't care…I'm going outside. I walk past the room where Samus was being worked on. Seconds after I clear the door, two medic-nin crash through, landing in a heap on the floor. They were groaning, an electric charge sparking now and then.

Tsunade speaks from inside the room, apparently to Samus, "If you want us to help you, you're going to have to trust us." Tsunade walks up and grabs the barely-hanging on door. She's about to say something to the medics on the floor when Shizune interrupts her.

"Um…Tsunade?" her voice laced with shock. Tsunade turns back into the room.

"What is it Shizuuu…oh…" A moment of silence…then Tsunade pokes her head through the door again.

"You two can take a break, you've been working hard." Aww, man. She's spotted me… "Shikamaru, would you please get Sakura, I'll need her help." I notice the slightly raised eyebrow and the smirk on her face. Something's up…

"Yeah, yeah…" I say, walking off in the direction of her temporary room. I hear the door close behind me.

-Tsunade-

"You could've just asked…" I say to Samus as HER suit falls off. To bring it all together, a feminine voice replied with some strain as I begin to stop the bleeding.

"My voice modulator had malfunctioned."

"Still…"

"I've been here less than two days, and I've already judged that most of the men on this planet are perverted…no offence."

"Ain't that the truth." Shizune chimes in while working on a scan.

"I know exactly what you're talking about." I reply. "Just relax, your armor was able to lessen much of the attack, but it still may take a while to heal."

"Your helmet?" Shizune asks.

"Please." Samus lifts her head slightly as Shizune slides the helmet off. Light-skinned, long blonde hair put up in a ponytail, and sparkling blue eyes…if I didn't know any better, I would've thought that she was Naruto's older sister. Shizune sets the helmet on a nearby table. Shizune turns and the helmet jumps off, she jumps, attempting to catch it.

"Let it go, it's simply picking up the pieces for repair." Sure enough, the helmet scurries on little legs over to the nearest chunk of armor. The piece shrinks and the helmet essentially eats it.

"It has a mind of its own?" I ask.

"No…well, maybe…but I like to think it's well programmed.

"Hm…" The helmet scuffles around until all the entire suit is picked up, afterward jumping back on the table and resting. "Interesting…"

Something doesn't feel right…her breathing is too quick…too shallow, she's hyperventilating!

"Tsunade!" Shizune calls with urgency, "Something's wrong. Her heart rate is increasing, She's having a heart attack!" Shizune rushes over to Samus to help me. "This couldn't have happened from the cut, there must be something we missed."

"I assume you scanned for poison…" I ask as I run my own scan for anything abnormal.

"Yes, I didn't detect anything." At this point, Sakura walks in.

"Shizune, I want you to try and find ANYTHING abnormal in Samus's body; Sakura, help me get her systems under control."

"Right." She takes Shizune's place. "How did this happen?"

"If we knew, it would be fixed by now."

"Found it!" Shizune exclaims…

"Well?"

"The best way I can describe it…is a parasitic lifeform…"

"No parasite is so powerful that it destroys the victim within a couple hours!"

"No parasite on THIS world can…" Sakura implies.

"We have to work fast. What am I looking for?"

"They bear a close resemblance to white blood cells. You should be able to tell the difference if I can."

"Sakura, force the parasites to my side, I'm going to try and push them out of her blood stream." Several painstaking minutes pass. Finally, I get them in position to be forced out. But they won't budge.

"What's wrong Tsunade?" Sakura and Shizune ask in stereo.

"They're blocking themselves in…I can't apply any more chakra, the pressure could hemorrhage the surrounding arteries. Sakura, are you sure that you got all the parasites here?"

I see her run over Samus again, "Yes, I'm positive."

"Okay. I'm going to trap them here." I move the parasites out of her bloodstream and encase them in a barrier. None can escape. When I'm positive that the container is reinforced and sealed, I let go and sit back, taking a deep breath. Sakura sees for herself my handiwork before sighing herself. I stand up and head for the door.

"You two make sure that the container is secure and that no male comes in. Tell me immediately when she wakes up."

"Yes Ma'am." The reply. I walk out…

I need some sake.

"Lord Hokage, you are needed in a meeting discussing the next plan of action regarding the traitor." A ninja says to me. I groan…

Definitely need some sake.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

PLEASE REVIEW!!

**Next Time: Regroup! Another Chozo is born!**

A/N: Please review and give feedback, what do you think?This chapter was difficult and I'm not even sure if I did it well. Also, I know Samus' true identity, and now some others in the story know also!!

Tip for authors…Do what I didn't do! Finish your story completely before posting!! This allows for faster updates!!

PLEASE REVIEW!!


	8. Regroup

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Metroid. There I said it.

A/N: This story takes place after the Sasuke retrieval arc and after the events of Metroid Prime.

PLEASE REVIEW!! I need to see how well (or not) I'm doing; please review!!

Thank you to **Blaine2**, **Waterhead**, **hotshot45**, **Watcher343**, and **Navar Darkblade** for reviewing!!I really appreciate your comments. I commemorate this chapter in honor of the release of the Wii game, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption!! GO BUY IT!! Also, If you have any suggestions, please do not hesitate to say them! They help immensely and really could add to the reading enjoyment. I'd greatly appreciate it.

Favorite word of reviewers: badass

AWESOME!!

Thanks again!!

PLEASE REVIEW!

**-**x**-**x**-**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

VIII: Regroup:

-Samus-

I hear movement…coming from…below me or…ugh…what happened? My vision opens to a blurry world of white and grey, a blinding light above me. I keep my head still as I strain to take in my surroundings. Someone mumbles something; a figure in…pink.

"…wake…"

She'd better be friendly.

"Finally waking up?"

I groan as I sit myself up, my mind finally catching up to the situation. I remember being in here to treat my wound…though I don't quite recall meeting this girl. Come to think of it, I can't even feel the wound at all.

"And who are you?"

"I am Sakura Haruno of the Leaf village. You helped save us from the Space pirates. Thank You." She replies…a bit too formal for me, though it's not like I haven't heard it before.

The door opens, the one named…Shizune enters, sees me, then says in surprise,

"Oh, you're awake."

"Just woke up." Sakura states.

"I'll be back with Tsunade then." Shizune leaves as quickly as she entered. A brief moment of silence…

"You're very good…" I start.

"Hm?"

"You and your people are well organized and have many talents. With any other doctor that I know of, I'd still be in pain, probably scarred for life."

"Well, you had the best of the best working on you. Good thing too."

I spot my helmet on a seemingly far away table near the foot of my bed.

"Why do you say that?"

"I don't know the specifics…but simple answer is, you were poisoned."

"And yet I'm not dead. I don't give you enough credit…"

"Lady Tsunade will be able to explain it better. I also got the feeling that she needed to ask you something."

"Then I guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"

A pause. I hear hasty footsteps coming down the hallway outside. The door opens and Tsunade, followed by Shizune, enter the room.

"Glad to see you made it." Tsunade says with a slight smirk…it seems forced.

"And it is thanks to you that I did." Tsunade nods.

"Let's get straight to business. There are a few things you should know. First, is your condition. Your wound was not terribly serious, however we did find a very destructive lifeform in your bloodstream that nearly took your life."

This is definitely more specific than a poison…

-Burish-

I still haven't thanked Ridley for not killing me…and now he's saved my life.

"This 'project' of yours had better be worth all this trouble." Ridley shouts at me through the video communicator; one of the many fancy gadgets that I had to get familiar with, "You know how long it will take to replace my tail? Or repair my wings? HOURS! I don't have that kind of time!!"

Frankly, I don't think I'm ever going to thank him…

"Speaking of which," he continues, "You'd better give him this." A machine to my right comes alive. In a space below the flashing lights and sounds; a bottle of liquid forms out of thin air. I have a 'Space Pirate' hand it to me.

"And this is…"

"A special tranquilizer." I look back at the boy, still unconscious in the stasis chamber full of a gel substance. It's supposed to be helping to heal his wounds.

"He seems tranquil enough…"

"Its not for him…it's for the parasites." That's not good.

"Parasites?"

"On one of my excursions to SR-388, I encountered a bioform known simply as the X Parasite. It's methods are simple, it takes over and kills the host; then uses the victims DNA to create a perfect replica…with the parasitic hive mindset, of course. They are extremely effective and can kill any being within six hours or less. There are only two ways to stop them. One is using this tranquilizer to calm them temporarily, and the other is introducing the parasite's only predator to kill it."

"And that would be?"

"A Metroid." In my short time with the Space Pirates, I have already heard enough about Metroids to make me want to avoid them. Then again, I avoid a lot of things…he continues, "Learning all this, I made myself immune to the X Parasites and laced them on my claws, thus infecting my combatants. This was the first time I got to try them out. Samus should be close to dead by now. Hehehe, take THAT, I win you worthless BI--"

I tune out his self-glorification and add the tranquilizer to the gel substance Naruto is in…his heart beat slows; it was beating faster than it should have moments ago.

I'm beginning to wonder if I should've declined their offer.

-Samus-

"I could not force the parasites out," Tsunade continued, "nor was I able to destroy them. All I could do was push them into a barrier inside your body and hold them there to stop the spreading."

"How long will the barrier hold?"

"I'd say about three months."

"That's not much time." I say in a neutral tone.

"I am working on a way to destroy them, though it may take a while." I nod. She folds her arms and closes her eyes, like she was struggling to find something to say…or how to say it. I figure now is a good time to ask…

"I'm assuming the mission was a success." Tsunade sighs. Something went wrong.

"For all intents and purposes, yes, it was a success. However, near the end of the operation, Naruto was captured by the Pirates and taken out into space." She was holding her emotions back; Naruto must mean a lot to her. I look around the room; Sakura holds her head down with a somber look on her face. He must mean a lot to many people in this place. Tsunade is about to continue when I interrupt her.

I get up and walk to the table and pick up my helmet. It gleams in the light of the room, reminding me why I do this, why I don this suit day after day to help others.

_"You are protector of the galaxy. You are a light to those who are surrounded by darkness."_

I watch the world grow a green tint momentarily as I place the helmet back on my head, The suit soon flows out and encases me once again. I turn to Tsunade.

"Let me give you three reasons why I will save Naruto." Everyone's face in the room lightens up as I continue, "One, He and I are of the same blood, I cannot allow one of my race fall into the hands of evil. Two, He obviously means much to you and others on this planet. And if that weren't already enough…there is the third reason…" I pause, their smiles may not last much longer.

"Three, Out of everyone I have seen on this planet, Naruto has the most developed IES network, with the most energy flowing through it. If the Space Pirates figure out a way to drain the energy out of him, they can implement that knowledge into new technology and bioforms and gain an advantage over every civilization in this galaxy. They would be unstoppable."

Tsunade catches on, "And Naruto is the easiest one to work with in trying to figure that out. It's easier to stick a needle in an artery than a capillary."

"Exactly." I walk to the door, "If you'll excuse me, I must prepare for my journey." As I'm walking down the hallway, a girl with a giant fan runs past me to the room.

"Gaara's missing!"

-Gaara-

A breeze blows past me, bringing with it some familiar sand. I open my eyes, and find myself in a clearing. The ground is stone covered with sand that gets tossed around by the wind. Surrounding me are nine pillars, each with a bird-like head carved on the top of them.

"I wondered how long it would take for you to arrive here." I turn to the feminine voice. She…or it…what is this?

"I am Black Dove, priestess of the Chozo race. I am here to guide you.

"Guide me…where?"

"Through the darkest time which you and at least one other will face."

"Who is the other?"

"The one who saved you from darkness the first time."

"Naruto…" I say softly, I still haven't properly thanked him for giving me a second chance at life.

"Naruto needs YOUR help now, but to do this will be dangerous. Are you willing to do whatever it takes for the sake of your friend?"

I don't even have to think about it… "Of course."

She nods, "We do not have much time..."

I am caught off guard as she drives one of her talons into her forehead. Somehow she is able to still move and pulls the talon out, dripping with blood. She quickly stabs the talon into my forehead. I feel no pain, but the world is going black around me.

"You are now Chozo…destined for great things."

Those are the last words I hear before falling unconscious.

-Sakura-

"If this is supposed to be some kind of joke, you need to work on your act." Tsunade warns a confused Temari.

"But he was gone less than five minutes ago!"

"Well, he's back now. So, everything's good, right?" Shizune says.

"I guess."

Tsunade turns to me, "You've had a long day, Sakura, I think you deserve a break."

"Thank you." I say as I fight the urge to run away as fast as I can. I round the corner and let loose a sigh of relief. I walk out of the hospital and into the unfamiliar Sound village. Honestly, I was expecting it to be some kind of nasty place were all kinds of criminals lived…but it looked much like our own village back in Fire Country. Though it didn't have the same feel. Nearly everyone here is a ninja from some country, and ninjas can't relax like other people. The marketplace was nearly empty, the restaurants quiet; the townspeople that normally fill them with life and conversation were seldom seen. It was disheartening…it wasn't home. It wasn't even home away from home.

Of course, with the pirates gone, lives can restart. Squads of ninja were sent to Earth country to tell them of the news. Tsunade also requested a meeting of the kages, for what reason, I don't know. The few townsfolk are starting to pack, ready to move back home.

I head away from the market place in hopes of finding something more relaxing. Then I see green spandex running toward me…wait…oh no…

"Hinata!" Lee's enthusiastic voice pierces the quiet afternoon. I then notice Hinata…whom I had not seen a moment earlier. She seemed to blend right in; in fact, she didn't even react to Lee's exuberant greeting.

"Hinata! How are you doing?" Hinata snaps out of whatever world she was in and replies.

"Oh…r-Rock Lee. Fine…I guess." I barely heard her, it was easy to hear Lee from this far away, but not Hinata.

"Do you have any plans?"

"um…"

"Because if you do not, I would like to ask if you would train with me! I need to train diligently to catch up to Neji if I ever hope to beat him!"

"i-I'm sorry Lee…but…but I can't. I'm sorry." From what I could hear she seemed to be holding back tears.

"That is fine, I will just find someone who can train with me! Perhaps Sasuke!" and he dashes off. I walk up to Hinata and I see her face. Apparently, Lee didn't notice that she was NOT fine.

"Hinata, what's wrong? You're a mess!"

"Oh, Sakura…" She's given up trying to be cheerful, "h-How can you h-handle this?" her voice is shaking as she continues, "How can y-you handle this s-so w-well?"

"Handle what?" Hinata starts stumbling away, "What Hinata?" she finds her footing and runs. I start to run after her when I hear Kiba running toward me calling for Hinata.

"Did Hinata say where she was going?" Kiba asks in an urgent tone.

"uh, No, she didn't. All I know is that she ran off that way."

"Thanks, Sakura."

"Wait! What is going on?"

"Hinata needs some support right now…"

"What happened?"

"Hinata just heard the news…that Naruto's been captured."

My heart drops, "Oh…"

"She's taking it pretty hard, but I'm surprised…I'd think you'd be just like Hinata right now."

"hm." I don't know how to answer…

"Hinata!!" Kiba calls one last time before sprinting off to find her.

Fact is, I did have a hard time believing the fact that Naruto was gone. And it took me several hours to figure out how to get out of that thought.

Naruto's captured…not dead. He needs my help now more than ever and I'm not going to waste any more time moping. That's what Tsunade told me before she went to her various meeting and patients.

But what can we do? Naruto's not even HERE.

-later-

The sun is slowly falling to the horizon, bathing the world in an orangeish tint. I head towards the training grounds; I have an idea and I need to make sure that it isn't crazy.

I round a bend in the trail and, lo and behold, Sasuke and Rock Lee were busy sparring. Rock Lee looked haggard and tired, while Sasuke was in much better condition. He also had a sword…that's new, since when did he have a sword? I hear Lee squeeze out a sentence.

"You have gotten stronger, Sasuke, you hardly have a scratch on you…" Lee struggles for breath.

Sasuke replies coolly, "No, you're out of practice. You forget that you haven't been able to train for the last 3 months."

Lee somehow maintains his stance, but his body is clearly finished fighting. Sasuke continues, "I think we should quit."

"Right…" Lee breaths out and collapses to the ground. I go over and start healing him, just enough so that he can easily get to the hospital or to his room.

"Thank you, Sakura, your healing powers never cease to amaze me!" Lee says when I am finished, getting up and walking slowly toward the center of town. I turn to Sasuke as he's sheathing his sword.

"You were using a sword against Lee?" I ask with a slightly reprimanding tone.

"Not the edge, you know me better than that."

Says the guy who ditched the village for a snake. "Not really…" Sasuke doesn't respond immediately.

"What did you need?"

"I was just passing by…" Sasuke doesn't buy it. "I was on my way to see Samus."

Sasuke smirks. "Really?" It's been a while since I've seen him with even the smallest smile on his face. He turns his back to me and looks at the full moon.

"The day I left the Leaf village…neither of you gave up. Though you didn't know my reasons for leaving, you both tried your best to keep me in the village."

A star streaks across the sky. His tone turns more serious,

"I arrived here, in hopes of becoming stronger. But I see that there is not much for me to learn here. This became clear when the Space Pirates attacked. And ninja from all countries flocked here as their homes were invaded. All of them knew of me. All of them despised me. I was trusted by none, save a very select few, and even then it was more of a professional trust than anything. They didn't trust me…but my abilities and skills."

He turns back toward me, eyes closed in thought.

"Then Samus arrived…with Naruto. And even though…even though I betrayed him…when he returned, it was like nothing had ever happened."

"I'm not going to say I regret what I have done in the past…that would be a lie. However, I am not like Orochimaru…I can't leave Naruto to fend for himself…he won't last two seconds without us."

Sasuke…my heart leaps with joy as I anticipate the next thing he says.

"I'm going after Naruto…we have a score to settle."

CHA!! I am so there!!

"You're not leaving me behind. Not this time."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

PLEASE REVIEW!!

**Next Time: A Rescue Team is Formed! The Deep Space Adventure Begins!**

A/N: Please review and give feedback, what do you think? This chapter was difficult (again) and I'm not even sure if I did it well. I really don't like transitions. Also, I know Samus' true identity, and now some others in the story know also!!

Tip for authors…Do what I didn't do! Finish your story completely before posting!! This allows for faster updates!!

PLEASE REVIEW!! Tell me how I did, and DON'T HOLD BACK!!


	9. Alpha

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Metroid. There I said it.

A/N: This story takes place after the Sasuke retrieval arc and after the events of Metroid Prime.

PLEASE REVIEW!! I need to see how well (or not) I'm doing; please review!!

Thank you to **netbreaker0**, **Helcion Pheonix**, **Blaine2**, **Watcher343**, **Waterhead**, and **Sephrocks2000** for reviewing!!I really appreciate your comments. Also, If you have any suggestions, please do not hesitate to say them! They help immensely and really could add to the reading enjoyment. I'd greatly appreciate it.

Samus's suit is original and unique, the characters who do get suits will have their own unique style, not just one of Samus's add-ons. Read on to find out what I mean…;-D If there are any areas where you think something may be better a different way, please tell me. Suggestions always help!

Thanks again!!

PLEASE REVIEW!

**-**x**-**x**-**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

IX: Alpha:

-Samus-

This isn't good…

Of all the parasites it could've been, it HAD to be this one…

The X-Parasite…

I had just finished running a self-diagnostic, to see what Tsunade was talking about. She did an excellent job containing them. I owe her my life; I'll have to add her to the list.

I bring up what little information I have on the species up on screen. It basically tells me everything that I already know…and not what I really need.

A cure, a vaccine, an antidote, ANYthing.

The only bright side is that I have some time…not much, but it should be enough for me to find a way to get these things out of my system. An orange light blinks at me from the corner of the screen. Sensors are picking up two people approaching my ship. I 'press' the holographic light and a visual of the two appears in front of me.

One I recognize as Sakura, one of Tsunade's aides during my operation. Who the other is, I can't tell. I only remember seeing him a few times and he never really introduced himself. Doesn't seem like the kind of guy that does that sort of thing. But there is one thing that I notice…that I recognize…

His eyes…I have seen those eyes so many times before…almost every day. The boy speaks up at the camera.

"Hey, Samus. We want to talk."

"Sasuke!" Sakura starts to scold. I walk away from the screen, activating my suit before I head up. Sasuke stares at me with unfeeling, but determined eyes.

"Can I help you?"

"You're going to save Naruto, right?" Sasuke asks.

"Yes, that is the plan."

"We're coming with you." Sasuke bluntly declares. This guy doesn't know the meaning of the word 'manners', does he? Sakura pipes up to try and redeem him.

"What he means to say is, We would like to accompany you on your mission. Naruto means a lot to us and…well--"

"Naruto is our teammate, We're going to help you rescue him." Sasuke gets to the point again. Sakura didn't look too pleased with his…etiquette…but didn't add anything further. These were Naruto's teammates, huh?

From what I've seen of Naruto, these three pretty much have completely different personalities. The two in front of me seem almost like polar opposites. But this is only the first impression.

"You do realize what you are asking, right?" They don't reply.

"That you wish to travel with me into the void of outer space to completely new hostile environments that could easily crush, melt, freeze and/or eat you? That you wish to travel with a bounty hunter, who is on the hit list of every major criminal organization in the galaxy? That you wish to face the fiercest enemies in the galaxy, all for the sake of ONE teammate?" I pause to let it soak in. Sasuke seems pleased, while Sakura is a little more shaken but still stands firm.

"Is that all?" Sasuke responds.

"We can handle it." Sakura adds. I'm willing to take them, but I don't want to cause any problems so…

"Have you told your leader of this half-baked plan of yours?"

"Well…no, but--" Sakura starts, I cut her off.

"Get her permission, and I will take you." Sakura grabs Sasuke's wrist and runs off like a child running to a parent to get a toy. Sasuke doesn't look to happy. I jump off the top of the ship and follow them slowly. I'm not THAT excited about this idea.

This is going to be very interesting…

-Tsunade-

Shizune forced me to do paperwork today…apparently it's still piled up from before the invasion. Great…

I'm sitting at my desk, stamping and signing form after form, when a hasty knock attacks my door.

"Enter."

"Lady Tsunade!" Sakura enters and bows for emphasis, "Please send Sasuke and I on a mission to save Naruto!" Sure enough Sasuke strolls in seconds later, he looks about as enthused as ever.

"And why should I do that? The Space Pirates are gone, we need all the help we can get in rebuilding our way of life. Villages need to be reestablished and rebuilt. Ninjas and villagers alike need help returning to their homelands and need defending from brigands that have formed from the absence of ninja to stop them. Relations between the countries needs to remain good and ninja like yourself are prime examples of the Leaf village. I have so many reasons for you to stay here that any other option seems pointless."

"But you can't just expect us to abandon Naruto?" I know…

"That is why I have Samus's word that Naruto will be returned safely. Besides, did you ever consider that perhaps you would be extra baggage to her? That you might just get in the way?" Sakura didn't look happy, Sasuke was putting on a slightly more pronounced frown. "Give me some time to think on it, dismissed."

The two leave without a word, the door shutting behind them. I become aware of just how late it is and start to finish for the night.

Should I let them go? Or do I have them stay? I weigh the different possibilities as I stack papers and shred others. I am nearly finished when another knock comes to my door.

"Enter." In come one of the few people I didn't think would enter. "Samus, this is unexpected."

"My apologies, but if you have some time, I would like to discuss something with you." We both take a seat on either side of the desk,

"Like?

"Sasuke and Sakura approached me earlier, asking to join me on my journey. I felt it best that you should know. I'm assuming they've already told you. What are your thoughts?"

"In our current situation, I can't find a reason to let them go…" Samus remains silent.

"As much as I care about Naruto…I am the Hokage, I have an entire village to care for."

"You need help to rebuild…" Samus states.

"That would be right."

A pause. The moonlight reflects off of her armor, giving her a silvery aura in the dimly lit room.

"I would like to take them with me."

"I don't think that's--" I start, but she interrupts me.

"Hear me out. This is a newly discovered planet for the Galactic Federation, The fact that you have already been targeted by Space Pirates means that you need the Federation's protection. But they have no reason to even acknowledge that you or your people even exist. Sasuke and Sakura would be excellent ambassadors for this planet, possibly achieving the aid of the Federation at least for the time being."

"You raise an interesting point, we are no longer isolated. Not only must we worry about our own internal affairs, but we must set up relations with the outside worlds as well." Oh…I need some sake. I'll have to bring this up in the meeting tomorrow.

"Fine. You may take them. I will assign them their mission tomorrow morning."

"I leave before then, is there any possibility of moving it to sooner."

"How soon?"

"I plan to leave in two hours."

"Well then, I'll arrange it now."

"Thank you, I'll be at my ship making final preparations." Samus leaves. I slump in my chair. I sigh…I yawn…

Does my job ever END?!

-Sasuke-

Didn't take long for Tsunade to make her decision…

Sakura and I stand in the smaller-than-it-looks ship. The curved, metallic walls encased what looked like the only room in the ship. Hopefully we wouldn't be in too long…at least Naruto isn't with us, this trip would be unbearable if he were here. Samus decends into the ship and takes the only seat in the room.

"Get ready for departure."

"How?" Sakura asks. She barely finished the question when seats sprang up from compartments in the floor. After the seat belts buckle themselves, we watch Samus expertly work the controls of the ship. A displays and voices constantly giving information on status, flight plans, meetings; I begin to wonder if Samus is actually able to take in all this information.

The ship rumbles as it lifts off the ground and aims skyward. Moments later, we blast upwards into the starry sky. The pressure builds, forcing me to the back of my chair.

"We've cleared the atmosphere." I feel very…light. I watch my hair sway as if I were in water. I unbuckle and start floating off my chair. "Activating artificial gravity." I land back on the chair, my hair falling to its original style. Samus spins around,

"Welcome to Outer Space."

"Where are we going?" I ask, Sakura adds,

"What's our plan to save Naruto?" Samus is quiet for a moment, probably gathering her thoughts.

"First, we must get you properly suited for the task. We are heading for the Galactic Federation Mobile Headquarters, the G.F.S. Zeus. There, not only will you be given life-support suits for other planets, but you will also meet some of the high officials of the Galactic Federation. Make sure your first impression is a good one. I'll tell you the rest of our trip after our stay at Zeus. It will take us only about 72 hours to reach the ship. Lucky for us it's nearby, or we may have lost time getting to it."

"Wait, we're staying…in HERE for three days?" Sakura asks a bit frantically.

"I'm assuming you're prepared for all of us to make it there."

"I don't have to be. Since we don't have enough food or energy for all three of us for this voyage, we will be going into a cryogenic sleep."

"A cryogenic sleep?'

"Basically, your body is frozen to stop all bodily processes from wasting energy and then thawed when our destination is near. Relax, I'm about to start the freezing process."

As I close my eyes, my thoughts drift back. I see Orochimaru, working on more experiments; Kabuto arranging medicines and files, and Itachi…

Just you wait…

Just you wait.

-Gaara-

Where…am I?

I feel sand brush against my skin from a light breeze. A dim light streaks from East to West, the sun is rising.

A figure forms from the sand in the wind. Into one of the bird-creatures that I had seen recently. Black Dove…

"It is time Gaara."

"Time for what?" I ask groggily. I feel like I've been asleep for days…wait…no, unconscious for days…

"You must flee this world…Dangerous eyes seek what is inside of you.."

"Shakaku?"

"If that is what you call him."

"Who?"

"A group that have forgotten their true goal…yet will do anything it takes to achieve whatever goal they have put in its place."

"hm…"

"We must build a vessel in which you will escape." I look around, skeptical.

"With what?"

"Have you forgotten your sand?"

"I can't make a ship made of sand. It won't hold its form without my chakra, and I can't maintain such a shape for too long. Besides, I have no knowledge of how to construct such a ship."

The bird thinks for a moment, "You are correct, you have not the strength, the stamina, nor the knowledge to make such a voyage." The sand bird walks toward me. "However, you underestimate your own strength, you have not tested your stamina to its limits, and you downplay your knowledge. You're smarter than you give yourself credit for."

"That still doesn't change the fact that I can not do what you have requested."

"No, It does. For you see, you CAN. With help of course." Her talon opens up to reveal a sphere of golden light. Wisps of light slowly swirl around it. Intricate patterns are somehow carved into the sphere, and shift and twirl with a mind of their own. "This is the pride of the Chozo, only Chozo may wield this powerful weapon to its fullest potential. Accepting this will place you in our hallowed hall of warriors for all eternity, provided that you do not misuse it's great abilities."

"You're giving me a choice?" Why is she giving me a choice? I was pretty convinced that I had to go through with this.

"I can't force you to do anything, only you can make the choice that will decide your fate."

…

I reach for the sphere; I had made my decision when the orb had appeared. I feel the ridges on the ball of light for a moment before I notice what is going on.

The sphere sinks into my hand and disappears. Then…the gourd on my back…crumbles away as light and sand rush around me, THROUGH me. I look for Black Dove, but she is nowhere to be found. I look up as a last resort to find her; then the world takes a slight orange tinge. I notice the added weight on my body, only slightly more than the gourd had weighed. I looked at myself, at the armor that now encased me.

The suit was a smooth sandy color and extended, like a long coat, to my ankles. I could see no crease or break in the armor, so I spread my legs into a standard taijutsu stance (Yes, I know basic taijutsu). The armor effortlessly provided the room my legs needed, while still keeping them completely protected. The armor seemed to bulk up my chest, shoulders, and notably my forearms and hands. I never really had to rely on my arms for strength, but the suit made it look like that is exactly what I did. The elbows sported spikes that I could easily tell were for defending against attacks from behind. My hands and arms moved easily, even with the extra armor. I felt my helmet to determine its shape. Mainly round ,with two 'waves' smoothly forming out of the metal as my hands glided to the back of my neck, which was surrounded by a collar that came up to where my mouth would be. The visor I looked through was rectangular, but slightly bent in the center, giving it a very subtle 'v' shape.

The sand settles, the lights fade, the sun is fully in the sky, and I see Black Dove's form in front of me, only now she was ghost-like, instead of sand.

"The Power suit has accepted you, may you use it well." She steps closer. "I will know give you the knowledge you need to build your ship. The suit is controlled through your will, it will not disobey or abandon you. Now is the time for you to test it yourself…" Before I could reply, she walks into me and disappears. And as if a hidden door had just been unlocked, I know exactly what to do. I extend my hands outward; a vast amount of sand from the desert floor rises and swirls around me, a tornado of epic proportions. With mere thoughts and slight movements, chunks of sand veer off and compress. This suit not only has amplified my sand abilities, but given me new ones as well. I permanently compress the sand into a solid and durable metal. Walls, windshields, engines, I construct them all through simple will.

A half-hour later, the sand settles once more, and I see my finished work. The metal is the same color as my suit, along with the glass to match my visor. There were no creases, not a single screw or bolt; as if the ship was carved out of a metal mountain into the shape it holds now. I resembled a bird with wings spread, big enough to fit at least five crew members. On the side of the hull in bold black letters,

"Desert Falcon…" a fitting name for a ship made of sand…

I hear Black Dove's voice in my head.

_"Congratulations, you have done well, Gaara of the Desert. Now you deserve that name even more."_ She chuckles before continuing, _"There is another reason for your voyage, and you are not to go alone."_ Four more spheres of light appear in front of me, _"You must choose four warriors to come with you, which four are up to you. Choose wisely…We will be watching…"_

The world goes black once again.

And I wake to a white ceiling. I look around the dark room, wondering where I am, noticing that I have no suit. I get out of the bed I'm in and search for a window, finding none, I find my clothes and leave the room. Was it all just a dream? I've never had any dreams before…unless you can dream when knocked-out…

I walk out of the hospital, noticing the rocky terrain. No desert, no ship, nothing; the sun hadn't even risen yet. But it felt so real…

I remember what Black Dove told me about the suit, that it will come when I will it to. So, I try. Nothing happens, and I begin to think that it was all a dream…until I hear her voice…

"_Go to the southern gate with your chosen warriors, your Falcon will be waiting."_

I hear commotion stirring in the hospital, I walk away, seeking a place where I can think…

Who should I choose?

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

PLEASE REVIEW!!

**Next Time: Who will Gaara choose? The Falcon Takes Flight!!**

A/N: Please review and give feedback, what do you think?This chapter was boring and tedious to write at first, but got real fun when I got to work with Gaara. Also, I know Samus' true identity, and now some others in the story know also!!

Tip for authors…Do what I didn't do! Finish your story completely before posting!! This allows for faster updates!!

PLEASE REVIEW!!


	10. Beta

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Metroid. There I said it.

A/N: This story takes place after the Sasuke retrieval arc and after the events of Metroid Prime.

PLEASE REVIEW!! I need to see how well (or not) I'm doing; please review!!

Thank you to **S J C**, **Helcion Pheonix**, **Blaine2**, **SSHiei**, **Havock**, **netbreaker0**, **Kishoto**, **Watcher343**, **rikku92**, **Bulrog the god**, **BlackRoseFire**, and **Dracomancer1** for reviewing!!Holy Crap that's a lot of reviews! Thank you so much! Also, if you have any suggestions, please do not hesitate to say them! They help immensely and really could add to the reading enjoyment. I'd greatly appreciate it.

I'm done with a tough semester and able to concentrate on this fic, thank you again to all those who stuck with the story, even though it has been neglected for, (looks at calendar) THREE MONTHS!! God, I've been gone longer than I thought.

If there are any areas where you think something may be better a different way, please tell me. Suggestions always help!

Thanks again!!

PLEASE REVIEW!

**-**x**-**x**-**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

X: Beta:

**-Sakura-**

We're only thirty minutes away from the G.F.S. Zeus. Samus took us out of sleep to ensure that we could adjust to moving again after three days of inactivity. I could see the ship, it almost was as large as the cockpit window, and we were still a good half-hour away…

"How are you two doing?"

I could go on and on about how my eyes feel like lead weights or how my joints feel old and brittle or how hard it is just to stand next to Samus, who is somehow unaffected by the sleep…but, "Fine."

Sasuke also couldn't bring himself to sit down, just to get his blood moving again; he stood near his chair, brooding. He 'hmph'ed a response, Samus apparently took that as a good sign.

"We're in Federation flight space now, if you would please sit down, we'll be there soon."

As I head to my seat, I hear an unfamiliar voice speak to Samus,

"Unidentified vessel, this is the G.F.S. Zeus. Please input your identification code now." Samus presses a button above her and a panel drops down and lights up. She presses the screen a few times before the panel lifts up and out of the way. The voice replies, "Greetings, Samus Aran. Welcome back to the Galactic Federation Mobile Headquarters. Please land in Docking Bay 36."

I see two ships fly silently past us; Samus pulls a hidden lever and we follow them. The ships broke away when we could see the number 36 in green above an opening in the ship. After landing, Samus stood up from her chair and faced us.

"I have to go tell security that you two are with me. Also, the room has to be pressurized, so wait here till I get back." Before either of us could reply, she leaves through the top of the ship. I unbuckle and slump in the chair. I find myself thinking out loud.

"This is so much to take in...In less than half a year, we've been thrust into the real world…it's just, we didn't even know about this before. Now here it is, right in front of us."

"We simply need to make sure that we don't make any enemies out here. Space travel hasn't even occurred to our race yet and anyone we meet out here has. They could easily annihilate us." Sasuke coolly states. That doesn't really help calm my nerves.

I hear Samus land on her ship before the hatch above us opened. "Follow me."

-x-x-

"We have several errands to complete here before we head to Zebes. First, you must meet the Commanding Officer of this ship. If he likes you, he'll contact Federation Ambassadors to meet with you and discuss a possible alliance or aid, so be on your best behavior. Next, we have to get you suits so that you can survive in the harsh Zebesian environment. If everything goes smoothly, we should be able to begin our rescue of Naruto in about 48 hours." As we walked along, several people greeted Samus, some cheered for her. At first I thought that everyone on the ship was part of the crew, but then I noticed some kids playing and even some pets running around. This wasn't just work, this was home to some people.

"It seems that you're pretty well known here…" Sasuke states. The few that were unfortunate enough to look at Sasuke were met with his trademark cold, expressionless, intimidating gaze. Thankfully, most didn't even pay much attention to us.

"I have taken many missions for the Federation, most against the Space Pirates. They are a constant threat to innocent lives everywhere, and frankly, there simply aren't enough soldiers to go around." She stops in front of a door with two guards, each clad in a metallic grey suit of armor. Not quite as advanced as Samus's suit, but it certainly looked potent enough to handle anything thrown at it.

"Going to see the Admiral, Samus? Who are the other two?"

"Guests from Gake II."

One of the guards puts a finger to his helmet where his ear would be, "All right, go on through."

The door slides open in front of us and we step into a flurry of moving people and flashing screens. Samus walks through as if nothing was in her way, while Sasuke and I do our best to keep up without disrupting anyone.

"This is the Command Center; Mission Control, Traffic Control, Security, and of course the pilots are all in this room."

"Putting everything in one place seems like a bad idea." Sasuke says as he adapts to following Samus through the bustle of workers.

"Each of different groups here have their own hub elsewhere, however having each of them next to each other allows for information to travel much more quickly from one branch to another. This, of course, leads to faster reaction time, and with a vessel this size, you need to make decisions fast."

We walk through another set of doors and into a much smaller room…though it still seemed just as busy as outside. A large man in a much more decorated uniform than any of the others I'd seen on this ship made his way toward us. He looked like the definition of authority; people giving him papers to look over and sign, asking questions and receiving orders. In the midst of all this he called to Samus in an (as expected) authoritative voice, though I can't understand it.

He somehow was still looking over and signing papers, it was hard to tell if he was really the one that called us.

"Several reasons…most of them important."

He didn't reply as he turned around and headed to the back of the room. Samus leads us around to the back where the man was headed. We got to the door just after he entered.

This room was about the size of the Hokage's office, and there was no one else here but us and the man. Samus started,

"Thank you for your time Admiral Griel, I have several bits of news that you may find interesting. First, these two here are inhabitants from the newly discovered planet of Gake II."

He put on an earpiece with an attached microphone on it…or at least that's what it looked like. "Can you understand me?" I nod; Sasuke folds his arms and broods. "Good. So, I assume there's more to this story than, 'I hitched a ride with Samus'."

I took the chance to answer, "Our planet was invaded by Space Pirates; Samus was the one who saved us."

"And you are…" I mentally kick myself for forgetting to introduce us.

"Sorry, I am Sakura Haruno, apprentice to Lady Tsunade, leader of the Leaf village, and this is Sasuke Uchiha, who played an important role in defeating the Space Pirates."

"Well, Sakura, it is fortunate for you and your people that Samus arrived when she did."

"Yes, we are very grateful."

"They decided to come with me for two reasons. I thought that it would be wise to make their race known to the rest of the Federation so that they could have a chance to grow. Before the Pirates came, their people had been relatively untouched by Space and all that it holds. They need protection until they can catch up and defend themselves. Also these two have come with me on a mission that I have taken."

"And what would that be?"

"Someone important to the village and possibly the entire planet was captured by the Space Pirates and sent to Zebes. We are the rescue party. But as you can see, these two are rather unsuited for Zebes."

"So you need suits; you'll have them in a matter of minutes."

"We'll need to stay and make preparations of course, so if it wouldn't be too much trouble--"

"It's never too much trouble Samus."

A pause in the conversation…something's up. Griel presses a button and a screen appears with a woman on it.

"Clara, would you please arrange three guest rooms? We'll also need an escort to them, they're in my office."

"Right away, sir." The peppy woman blips off and the screen disappears. Half a minute later, a girl a little older than me enters the room.

"Excuse me, Admiral."

"That's fine. Take these two to their rooms please."

"Yes, sir." She looks at me, "Right this way!" Sasuke and I follow her, while Samus stays with Griel.

Hm…

**-Garra-**

"There you are…" I hear Kankuro's voice from the path behind me. "Good to see you out of that bed…though you could've told someone."

"I needed some fresh air."

A pause, conversation still isn't my strong point…

"The Council wants a word with you."

Better get to work, the sooner we leave the better. I walk away from Kankuro toward the training grounds.

"Hey! Did you hear me?" Kankuro calls.

"I have…other things to do…you and Temari go."

I begin to hear my brother's frustration, "What could be more important than choosing who will represent the Wind country for Tsunade's peace talks?"

I need to cover my bases in terms of abilities. I can handle Ninjutsu, and I know exactly who to ask for Taijutsu. A medic-nin would be helpful as well…

"Hey!" Kankuro stands in my path, "I don't know what's going on in that head of yours, but right now, you need to be here. Not only for the Sand village, or even the Wind country, but for all of the nations. I don't know what the council is going to say to you, but I'm pretty sure they're going to ask you to represent us at the meetings. Who better to represent our people than Gaara of the Desert? You can't just walk away like you don't care!"

I look at him, and he slightly flinches; I need to work on NOT glaring at people, "It's not that I don't care for the people of my village, but I have more pressing problems that need my attention."

"What!?! Like what!?"

"I have a mission, given to me by…someone more powerful than me." Kankuro's face shifts from frustration to confusion. "I can't be here for the talks, because this mission will determine whether our race can live long enough to enjoy our new-found peace." I walk past him. "As for who should be a representative of our people; you and Temari are at the top of _my_ list. You are the pride of the Sand village, one to look up to and aspire to be…My power comes from a demon, and not everyone can be as…understanding…as you and Temari have been of that fact."

"If the council will only accept me as the representative, tell them that I am sending you two in my stead."

Kankuro didn't respond.

-x-x-

Rock Lee is right where I thought he'd be…at the training grounds. He was just starting him warm-up exercises, I could tell because he wasn't sweating yet.

"598…599…600…601…" Lee muttered as he pushed him self up and down on his left arm alone. He did a few more before acknowledging me.

"Ah, Gaara! What are you doing here? I thought you were still in the hospital." He said between push-ups.

"I let myself out…You have a moment?"

"What do you need?" He didn't stop.

"It's about Naruto…"

"Naruto?"

"I am going to bring him back here…and I can not do it alone."

"Finished." Lee jumps up nimbly and gives me a creepy smile and a thumbs-up. "Of course I will help, not only does Naruto need our help, but Sakura and Sasuke are out searching as well. We will be able to cover more ground this way!"

"Thank you…"

His teeth sparkle…somehow. "It is my pleasure!"

"Meet me at the south gate this afternoon for departure."

"Got it!" He replies in his usual enthusiastic tone before rushing off. I head downtown. I have an idea for who to ask next…

I just don't know where to find him.

-x-x-

I don't know him well, but from what I've heard, he's either being forced to work or not working at all. I head to the Hokage's building. As soon as I enter, I hear a groan.

Shikamaru walks down a set of stairs carrying a tower of papers. I walk along side him.

"Shikamaru Nara, correct?"

"Yeah, that's me. What does the mighty Garra want with me?"

"To ask your assistance in a mission."

"As much as I would love to," It looks like he doesn't at all, "I have to stay and help Tsunade…apparently, she's not smart enough to run anything around here."

"I heard that!" I hear a female shout down. Shikamaru grumbled.

"So…very…" he sighs, "…troublesome."

"Very well." Who else can I bring?

"Hey, Garra!" he calls as I open the door, "See if Kiba Inazuka can help you. In the western part of the village."

I nod and take to the rooftops.

Hopefully, whoever is following me will stop soon…

-x-x-

"Sorry man, two problems with this mission. One, I can't leave, our clan is still recovering and some of us have to earn some money for basic needs. Two, Akamaru has been sick lately, and I'm practically half a ninja without him."

"I see…" Whoever is following me is starting to annoy me.

"hmm." Kiba starts to think. "That person following you just gave me an idea, why don't you ask Hinata?"

"The Hyuga heiress? She is probably in the same situation you are in. Tied to her clan."

"Yeah, you're probably right…there's no way that she would ever just up and leave to save a loser like Naruto…" Kiba said with a smile; my eyes twitched. That is, until his true motive revealed itself.

"Naruto is NOT a loser!" Hinata shouted from the trees, followed quickly by a soft 'eep' and a rustle of leaves in an attempt to hide herself once more.

"Come on, Hinata! He isn't that scary." A few seconds pass before she drops out of the tree and advances shyly to us. "So what do you think? Want to go save Naruto with Garra?"

She was silent for a moment until, "When, Sakura and Sasuke left with Samus to save Naruto, I felt…left out…alone. I hadn't thought for one second that Naruto was gone for good, I was going to ask Samus to take me to find Naruto…turned out…I was too late."

"You must take me with you Garra! Naruto was there for me when I…when I was…helpless. He has always been there for me, giving me the courage to fight…even against all odds. I want to be there for him for once. So…that's why I want to go…if it…isn't too much trouble."

I walk back to the village, two down two to go. Perhaps I could ask…

"Garra?" Kiba asks. Oh, right,

"Meet me at the south gate this afternoon." I hear Hinata's joy and see her rush off to the village, I'm assuming to pack.

-x-x-

On my way back I pass a bathhouse, the only reason why I even cared to pay attention to this was the old man peeping in. Walking over to…persuade him to leave, I realize that this is one of the Sannin, Jiraiya. Despite his…habits…he would be a powerful ally for the mission.

"Jiraiya, I--"

"Not now kid, I'm busy." He whispered back. I don't have time for this. I knock on the wall.

"Peeper." Splashes of water and a few screams later, several women climbed to look over the fence at who they could pummel. They see me.

"Oh, look girls! It's Garra!"

"Really? Lemme see, lemme see!"

"He's so dreamy!"

"Is he the peeper?"

"If he is, I don't mind!"

"Yeah!" followed by Fangirl giggles and a squeal or two. I need to get rid of these girls before I kill them. I look up at the girls,

"He's looking right at me!"

"Nuh-uh, he's looking at me!"

My eyes pop out of my head, leaving two black sockets behind. The girls are silent in shock. My eyes explode. Red paint sprays onto their faces, but that's not what they think it is.

"AHHH! That is so gross!" The girls scream and rush out of the bathhouse. A few simply faint. No matter, they are gone.

"Aw, why did you do that?" Jiraiya moans, "You had them in the palm of your hands!" I open my eyes, "How did you do that anyway?"

"I'm here to ask you a favor." I recount the mission to him.

"I guess you couldn't ask Tsunade…and the other Sannin's just trouble…so that would leave me…well I guess I can…" he stops.

"Wait a minute…wait a minute. There is the other Sannin.

"You just said--"

"Stay with me here, he's just trouble…" He smiles slyly, "I have a plan where everyone wins."

**-Samus-**

I stand in the control center for the training room. After telling Admiral Griel the full situation, I found that the only thing known to destroy the X Parasites…were Metroids. Meaning that we would have to go to their homeworld and retrieve one and make a vaccine from it. This, of course, means that the suits are going to have to be tailored to Sasuke and Sakura so that they can perform at their best when they come with me to the most dangerous planet in this galaxy.

The doors open and Sasuke and Sakura are escorted in. Moments later, Admiral Griel and the Chief Suit Engineer, Dr. Helms, enter as well.

"Good, everyone is here. Let's get started." Griel stated.

"Why don't you go first, Sakura?" I suggested.

"Sure."

"Start her out on level one and work up from there." I said to the training officer.

"So what exactly is this proving?" Sasuke asks in a no-nonsense tone…as usual.

I was about to answer but Helms beat me to it, "This is to monitor your natural performance so that the best possible suit can be built for you."

"Also, this is to see if you are even worth taking on the dangerous missions Samus is going on." Griel adds.

"Mission_s_?" Sasuke doesn't miss anything, "Is there something you haven't told us, Samus?"

"Sakura may have told you, but I am currently infected with an organism called the X Parasite. It is contained at the moment, but it needs to be destroyed before I do anything else. The cure lies on planet SR-388, home of the Metroids, the most feared thing in the galaxy."

"So, this is to see if we can survive on SR-388."

"Precisely." Griel finishes for me.

"Increasing training to level two." The officer states. Helms chimes in,

"She's stronger than she looks."

"What level is going to be acceptable for us to gain your trust?" Sasuke asks.

"At least level six; a suit generally increases a person's ability to take on two levels higher than without one." I answer.

"Level three."

"She relies on speed, that's good, that's good." Helms is now writing details on a clipboard.

Sakura crumpled several drone and let out a battle cry that could even be heard from behind the glass.

"This is too easy for her." Griel notices, "Go to level six." He commands. The officer obeys.

Sakura is caught slightly off guard by the sudden increase in enemies, but regains her composure and bashes everything in sight, "level seven." Laser turrets reveal themselves and start firing. This level is finally challenging her. Her shuriken don't phase the turrets and she still must defend herself against other drones. She ducks into the crowd of drones and the turrets unload into them instead. She then runs to the wall, a laser blast blazing behind her. The turret follows her movements to the other turret, destroying it. With one turret down, she grabs a drone and heaves it at the turret destroying it as well. She's panting, and more drones are coming.

"That's good." Griel states and the officer turns the drones off. Sakura stumbles to the door, still breathing heavily, hands bleeding.

"How…did I do?" she asks between breaths.

"Let's just put it this way, you reached the highest level out of everyone who went in without a weapon. Save Samus of course." Sakura smiles, "Get a medic in here." Griel finishes.

"Your turn Sasuke." I tell him. He walks in coolly, leaving his sword behind.

"Start at level seven."

**-Gaara-**

I'll admit, that I thought Jiraiya's plan was crazy at first, but he had a point.

The world needs a chance to grow.

Now is the moment of truth, my escort opens the door. Time for my performance.

"Garra, to what do I owe this…pleasure?" Orochimaru grinned as he lounged on his throne. Kabuto stood nearby looking…not pleased.

"I am here with an offer."

"What would that be?"

"As I'm sure you know, Naruto was captured by the Space Pirates recently, and Sasuke and others have been sent to retrieve him."

"Your point, Garra."

"Sasuke is out in space, fighting hordes of monsters that are more powerful than almost anything on this planet. There is a chance that he could become more powerful than you, especially if you stay here and lounge."

Orochimaru's smile vanished. "Thank you for reminding me of that fact, Garra." He seethed through his teeth.

"What if I told you that there was a way to not only get Sasuke, but to also gain an exponential amount of power."

"Are you implying _you_ have such means?" Kabuto answered. Orochimaru glared at him.

"Why, yes."

"And why should I even trust you? You are allies with the Leaf. Give a reason not to kill you right where you stand."

"For several reasons, one, our allegiance with the Leaf has simply been a ruse. We were waiting for you to exploit their false sense of security when the Space Pirates attacked. The Leaf fell easily to them, think of how easy it would've been if it were you. Two, if you do not come with me to retrieve Sasuke, that would be the second Uchiha that would have fallen through your fingers…and there are only two left." Orochimaru growled; I must strike while the iron is hot, "and finally, the power you can obtain from this trip is something you cannot ignore." I try to activate my suit once more. I call for it and command it to appear. Thankfully, it obeys, like she said it would.

I have their full attention now. "This suit was given to me by another alien lifeform, who also entrusted me with other suit to give to whom I see fit. This suit increases one's chakra reserves and hones their chakra control, giving them abilities that no normal ninja could ever hope to achieve." I form a cloud of sand in the room and condense it into a small metal marble, which I throw to him. "This is but the smallest sample of my newfound abilities; with this suit, you could level entire villages and defeat the strongest of ninja without even breaking a sweat!" Orochimaru began to chuckle, Kabuto remained unimpressed. "Think of all the things you could achieve! You could kill anyone simply by touching them, and even keep yourself from dieing as well!" Kabuto smirked, an evil eye glancing at Orochimaru. "And after you get Sasuke, you would be that much more powerful."

Orochimaru laughs, and laughs, and laughs. A chill runs down my spine, MY spine as the cackle reverberates through the complex.

"I take it that you wish to go through with this."

"Once I see the ship, yes, you will take me to Sasuke. He will be mine! Then the LEAF VILLAGE WILL FALL!!! THE WORLD WILL FINALLY BE MINE!!!!!!" He resumes laughing maniacally.

"I will see you in one hour than at the southern gate." I leave the cursed place. Kabuto set about making preparations, looking somewhat annoyed by the Snake's laugh.

Orochimaru continued to laugh for the next twenty minutes.

I hope that this works…

I deserve an Oscar.

**-Samus-**

"Impressive," Griel comments, "He made it to level eight, just one level you achieved without a weapon, Samus." I notice something familiar in his eyes, several things actually.

"I need to check something. I'm going in." I deactivate my suit and enter with only my custom-made emergency pistol. Sasuke turns,

"Why did you stop the test?"

"I haven't stopped it, it's simply changed. Sparring match, prepare yourself."

"Fine, have it your way. I won't go easy on you thou--"

My foot meets his face. He flies back but manages to keep his footing. I fall into a loose stance and prepare myself. I've made my move, let's see his. He makes some hand-signs before putting a hand to his mouth. A ball of flame roars toward me, I backflip and hide behind the remains of a drone. I charge my pistol; he wants to play dirty, so will I. The flames subside and I fire my pistol at him. He barely dodges as I dash for him. He notices me and throws shuriken at me. I flip a switch on my pistol and it becomes an energy whip, which I use to deflect the projectiles. Before I can finish though, he gets under me and tries to kick me up in the air. I jump into the air for him, lashing the whip behind me. He skids back, and we both contemplate our next moves. So far, it seems my fears are amounting to nothing. Perhaps some enticing is in order.

"Is this it? Is this all a ninja can do?" Sasuke grinds his teeth, looks like I struck a nerve. He holds his hand downward, and it starts glowing with electricity. He looks up…

Those eyes…

"I'll show you exactly what I can do!" Letting out a battle cry, he charges with surprising speed, dragging his hand, creating a trail of scrap metal behind him. I have seen those eyes. In more ways than one, I don't think he even knows who he is attacking anymore.

"CHIDORI!!" The screams of a thousand birds rip through the air.

At the last moment, I side-step the lunge; my hair stands on end from the electricity as my open hand grasps his neck. I slam him back to the ground, and hold him there. Galactic Federation troops storm in, all guns aimed at Sasuke. I ignore them for the time being,

"Sasuke, who were you attacking? What did you see?" He didn't answer, "Whatever it was, it was a lie." Sasuke struggles, the troops tense, "Look at me." Sasuke doesn't have much of a choice. "I noticed it almost as soon as I met you. You are seeking revenge for something, justice, retribution, or your own sake, it doesn't matter. The fact is, you are being driven by hate. Emotions cloud judgment, and that is one thing that we cannot afford to lose." I lean closer, making sure he understands every word, "You will die if you let him control you."

I blink; I said 'it' in my mind, why did 'him' come out? Either way, he calmed down.

"All clear, return to your posts." Griel says, and the troops leave. Sakura rushes in as I get up and leave. Griel looks in at the two ninja, Sakura helping Sasuke up and supporting him.

"Think I was too hard on him?" Griel looks at me.

"From what Commander Adam told me, you were much the same way when you first started in the Galactic Federation."

Adam…

"I changed after that day…I still don't think I was worth what he did for me."

"It took his death to forge the burning passion to protect the galaxy that you use constantly now. To create the greatest warrior in history. While it is unfortunate that he sacrificed his life, I don't think he could have chosen to save a more worthy soldier."

"Hopefully, I can make that difference in this boy…without any lives being sacrificed."

"I have faith in you, Samus Aran. As does every soul on this ship."

I smile, and activate my suit. "Thank You, Admiral. Now if you excuse me, I must prepare for our trip to SR-388."

"Of course, Samus."

**-Gaara-**

"What a magnificent ship!" Rock Lee exclaims.

"And you made this ship, by yourself?" Orochimaru was pleased. I nod. I had already explained to him and Kabuto that I would be bring some leaf ninja to keep up the ruse of the alliance.

"What are we waiting for, then? Let's go!" Lee throws his fist into the air. I had also explained to him why I was bringing these two criminals.

"We are waiting for--" I start, but speak of the devil.

"Sorry, I'm late." Hinata lands beside me. Then gasps, "What is Or--"

I interrupt her, "I'll explain later." I then say to everyone, "Everyone's here, we can go."

We all enter the _Desert Falcon_, and I wonder what challenges await us in the worlds beyond. I activate my suit and sit in front of the controls, as the others sit in seats behind me. The ship hums to life and rises, and somehow I simply know how to control it.

The _Falcon_ soars into the skies…into the unknown.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

PLEASE REVIEW!!

**Next Time: Home of the Ultimate Warrior! The Dangers of SR-388!!**

A/N: Please review and give feedback, what do you think?Got to work with Garra more and fangirls too! YAY! Also got to bring back Evil Garra. This is, by far, the longest freaking chapter I've ever written. Also, I know Samus' true identity, and now some others in the story know also!!

Tip for authors…Do what I didn't do! Finish your story completely before posting!! This allows for faster updates!!

New suits revealed next chapter!! I'm going to start a segment down here to give you guys an idea of where I got inspiration for said suits so that you can (hopefully) paint a better picture of it in your head. Till next time!

PLEASE REVIEW!!


	11. SR388

Disclaimer: Even if Samus married me, Nintendo would still own Metroid. If Sakura married me, I'd shoot myself.

A/N: This story takes place after the Sasuke retrieval arc and after the events of Metroid Prime(Not the series, just the first game.), which comes before Metroid II (for Gameboy).

PLEASE REVIEW!! I need to see how well (or not) I'm doing; please review!!

Thank you to **S J C**, **Helcion Pheonix**, **Blaine2**, **netbreaker0**, **rikku92**, **BlackRoseFire**, and **Dracomancer1** for reviewing!!Holy Crap that's a lot of reviews! Thank you so much! Also, if you have any suggestions, please do not hesitate to say them! They help immensely and really could add to the reading enjoyment. I'd greatly appreciate it.

Special Thanks to **Dracomancer1**!! Your encouragement is very helpful and was pretty much the driving force that helped me get this next chapter out so quickly (a month later, not bad). This chapter is Fing long, so there may be a few more mistakes than usual. I apologize.

This chapter is going to be a lot of description, please bear with me.

Description is not my strong suit…PLEASE please bear with me.

If there are any areas where you think something may be better a different way, please tell me. Suggestions always help!

Thanks again!!

PLEASE REVIEW!

**-**x**-**x**-**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

XI: SR-388:

**-Dr. Burish-**

"Burish."

"General." Ridley eyes the human in the container behind me. "What do you need?" Ridley walks past me.

"I find this species…fascinating." He circles around the stasis chamber, analyzing. "It's the ultimate paradox! It has 'ears' that don't hear, a protrusion that supposedly offers smell, no protection whatsoever anywhere! Everything about these meat-bags makes no sense!" His wings twitch, his arms shake. "Yet, our operations are plagued by them. Somehow, they created an alliance to rival ours, convinced our council that WE should have one, AND…" His eyes gleam as murderous intent fills the room, "That half-breed Samus is always pestering us!"

His fierce gaze focuses in on Naruto, "And now we have these anomalies to add to the list." His rage boils for a few moments; then he turns to me, "Preparations are complete."

It wasn't a question.

"Yes."

"You have forty-eight hours. If there are no results," he leans in as close as he can, "You're Fried."

Ridley storms out, not even waiting for a reply.

I wasn't really panning on giving one anyway.

…

I am not finished with preparations. I have not started them

I will not begin experimentation soon. I have no intention to ever do so.

I check the space traffic reports, and, unfortunately, nothing is different. Where are Naruto's companions? Are they coming? Is space too large an obstacle for them?

Are they even trying?

…

Naruto still floats in the gel stasis chamber, idle, asleep…helpless.

I still wait; I wait as long as I can.

If no one comes…then…

…

I will have no choice…

**-Sakura-**

Donning our new suits, Sasuke and I enter Samus's ship. We take our seats and strap ourselves in as Samus spins her chair to face us.

"Seems like they fit, good. Now, let me give you an idea of how dangerous this mission is." She slides her seat so we can see the screen behind her. It flickers to life, and a picture of a strange jelly-fish like creature appears. "This…is a Metroid. Our mission is to capture one and bring it in for Federation study." Memories of a certain cat pop into my mind.

"There's more to this than it seems, isn't there?"

"If it were that easy, the Federation would probably have captured it themselves." Sasuke adds.

"These Metroids feed on life energy, and only recently have we been able to identify this…essence in life forms."

"By life energy, do you mean Chakra?" seems similar enough.

"Yes, most believe that what the Metroids feed on is what you call Chakra."

"Just how dangerous are they." Sasuke jumps to the point, as usual. Samus pauses before she answers.

"They can kill nearly any life form in a matter of seconds." She pauses, "Your suits will protect you a little from their…feeding, probably giving you a good minute-and-a-half to break yourself free." The screen blips off, "We are going to stick together as best we can, however, should we get separated, make your way back to the ship. We will land by night, when the Metroids are least active."

"Any questions?"

"Why are we doing this?" Sasuke asks.

"To find a cure, that is all. We leave shortly."

**-Gaara-**

A white room. No, it is not a room, the place I am in is simply white, blank, nothing. I must be dreaming…

Four figures walk up to me, all of them the same race.

Chozo.

I turn to see if there were any others. Black Dove stands behind me, but otherwise there are no others.

"Are these the four you have chosen?" one of them asked. His voice commanding and enthusiastic.

"I am satisfied with all but one." Another comments in a serious, professional tone.

"Just one? What about the silver-haired boy?" A lower gravelly voice adds.

"We can not judge, all of them are fine choices." The last one kindly scolds.

"Why are you here?" I ask. The first of the four replies.

"We must breathe life into these new warriors of Chozo."

The second continues, "For one who is not Chozo cannot wield our suits at all."

The third Chozo folds his arms and looks away, "Nor can we trust them with so much power."

The fourth chimes in, "We have to see if they deserve the suits, that's all."

"How?"

"Simple," Black Dove states, "A test." She faces the other Chozo as they fade. We are silent. The room is silent.

"A test?"

"You shouldn't worry, you will receive no such test." She puts a talon/hand on his shoulder. "You are Chozo by blood and a demon by birth; your life is a test."

**-Samus-**

Of all the things that could have cured me of this…parasite, it had to be this.

Metroids. The most infamous, nearly invincible, life-sucking leeches in the galaxy.

I shouldn't have brought Sasuke and Sakura…they aren't ready for this. I've only faced Metroids on two missions; both times, it took my complete concentration to defeat them. I never faced more than five or six at one time; where the thought came from that these two could handle this, I'll never know, but I should've left them on the ship.

There are simply too many of them, and none of them were targeting me. It was always Sasuke or Sakura, I don't know how many Metroids I destroyed, but it wasn't enough.

We landed smoothly, and ventured out onto the planet. Less than fifteen minutes pass before a swarm of Metroids charge us; Thirty to Forty Metroids, all attacking us. Like a trained pack, they separated me from the other two, keeping me busy while they feasted.

Luckily, those two ninja know how to run, and soon the swarm was out of my sight.

I have already completed the objective, I am returning to my ship.

Why the hell did I bring them here? Nothing about my decision makes sense. They're walking tubs of energy, they're inexperienced, I work better alone, and they have only Galactic Federation suits, which probably won't last long against the Metroids. What was I thinking?

A glint of light catches my eye. I whirl around and aim at…the head of a statue.

A Chozo statue.

…

I have to get to the ship and find them.

**-Sakura-**

From one branch to the next, we rush…uh…somewhere. With these Metroids chasing us, we haven't been able to run to the ship. Every time we change directions, more Metroids appear and then we run away again. We can't keep running.

Sasuke jumps ahead of me, sword drawn, with goop from Metroids sometimes dripping off. He leaps from one alien tree to the next with ease, using his Sharingan to try and find a place to hide or run. He slices through a Metroid that appeared in front of him mid flight and lands on the ground. Pushing chakra to our legs, we speed out of the forest and into the plains.

"We need a plan, Sasuke!" I look back at the cloud of jellyfish behind us. No trees to slow them down, "At this rate, we won't last much longer!" He doesn't answer.

The plains turn into a rocky wasteland. In the distance, I see a chain of jagged mountains towering above the horizon, and the terrain begins to incline. I look back once more.

We just might be able to outrun them!

I turn back to Sasuke, only to see him skidding to a stop. "Sasuke, why did you--" I look in front of him.

I don't have time to comprehend as the half-dozen Metroids ambush us. Sasuke is able to slice through one, but another Metroid catches his sword with its fangs. Before Sasuke can even get it off, one latches on to his face!

"Sasuke!" I rush to him, and grab the Metroid and try and pull it off, but it wouldn't budge. Suddenly, a Metroid flies straight toward me fangs first; my ninja instincts kick in. Not having any other weapon that I could draw in time, and not wanting to leave Sasuke, I punch it.

It latches on to my fist. I see the energy readings of my suits decrease rapidly, and the Metroid slowly grow.

Wait…

…It's a long-shot, but it's all I can think of.

Focus…focus…

NOW!

Using Tsunade's training, I burst my chakra out of my fist. The Metroid explodes.

…It worked! CHA! IN YOUR FACE, JELLYFISH! WHO ELSE WANTS SOME?!

I punch another Metroid to oblivion, then one more, and then I blast the Metroid on Sasuke's face. Only two left, I take care of them easily. I'm feeling pretty confident…until I notice that the swarm has almost caught up with us.

"Let's go Sasuke!" I don't hear him respond. I see him on the ground. I don't have time to check if he's alive. Any confidence I had before has turned into desperation, Sasuke's down, Metroids are chasing us, and just beating five took almost all my chakra. I push the rest I have left to my legs.

At least he's breathing…

Soon after, I pass through a gate of sorts into the ruins of a village or city. Could I hide here? There are so many Metroids, they'd find me no matter where I hide. Oh, this is hopeless.

I have to stop and catch my breath.

_"Here."_

What?

_"Come Here"_ Whatever voice was calling me came from inside one of the ruined buildings. I don't see the Metroids…I won't know if I can hide from them if I don't try. Passing a couple more birdlike statues, like the ones near the entrance; I run to the voice.

…I'm wasting time. The room was smaller than my room back home, small round and with a domed ceiling. This is a horrible place to hide. I must be hearing things.

The ground collapses beneath me…I can't grab on to anything without dropping Sasuke. The floor is hard and wherever we are, it was really dark. The only light coming from the hole we just fell through, but even that disappears with the sound of grinding rock. I hear the swarm pass over us, and even scrape at whatever sealed us in. The Metroids moved on, and I sighed, setting Sasuke down. I want to check to see if he's alright…but I'm out of chakra…

-x-x-

I hear someone…running, breaths flowing in time with the footfalls. The sky is a clouded white and yellow; trying to block out the sun, but not really succeeding. The sky connects to the ground closer than I think…when I realize the floor is the same as well.

Am I…in a cloud? I must be dreaming…or genjutsu. No…not genjutsu…at least not any I can break out of.

Sasuke and Naruto are running in toward me…but they aren't going anywhere, as if they were on a treadmill.

"Sasuke, Naruto…what are you doing?" … "Sasuke?" I walk toward him, he doesn't even notice me. Neither does Naruto, who is running a few paces behind Sasuke. They're saying something…

"Must…Kill…him…Must…Kill…him."

"Must…Save…Sasuke…Must…Save…Sasuke." This doesn't make any sense. If this were a dream, something would've happened by now. If this were genjutsu, the user doesn't seem to know what he is doing. I walk around the two runners; how can I get out of here?

Bright orange is interrupted by red. How did I miss that before?! The side of Naruto's jacket is soaked with blood! Going instantly into medic-in-training mode, I try and get close. I want to remove the jacket, but he isn't really cooperating. Why did they have to be running? Why not walking…or sleeping…at least then he would be quiet so I could help him.

His movement isn't hindered at all by whatever injury he has there…if any. Knowing Naruto, it's probably already healed anyway. Sigh…

"Why am I here?"

_"Would you look at that? We have a guest!"_ a high-pitched, grating voice echoed. It was answered by another deep, shrewd one.

_"I know, I know, we never have an audience!"_

_"How do I look? Oh this is SOOo exciting!"_

_"You look fabulous, darling. Come now let's not keep her waiting!"_ The ground shakes; I turn around, and a bulge appears a few yards in front of me. Two snakes burst from the ground, covered in white scales, their yellow eyes glared down at me.

_"We're so happy you could come!" _The one on the left, the higher-pitched one exclaimed.

The other continued, _"It's not often we have visitors."_ They were smiling…constantly.

"Who are you?" I keep my voice as firm as I can.

The one on the left shakes her head, _"Ah, excuse US, Introductions were never my strong suit."_

"_This is Suecha, and I am Saikuh, pleased to meet you."_

"Okay…"

"_You must be Sakura! The Pink hair is a dead giveaway; have you ever thought of growing it out? I think you would look delectable if your hair flowed down your back, like a pink…fairy!"_

"Fairy?" My eyebrow was twitching.

"_HA, a fairy, good one Sue. Honestly, I wouldn't like it so much if SHE wasn't dead in the first place."_ Wait…she?

"_Too true, too true."_

"Who?"

"_Who what? Who is SHE?"_

"_Or who KILLED her?"_ What? _"Well…"_ He was waiting. I could just ask for who they are talking about, but I might learn more if…

"Who killed her?" They responded in unison, a creepy, seductive unison.

"_Itaaachiiiiii."_ They both burst into a fit of giggles. Wasn't that Sasuke's older brother? What does he have to do with these…snake siblings?

"Who is she?"

"_She asks again; shall we amuse her?"_ Suecha stoops her head next to mine.

"_No…we can't muddle her head with such things."_

"_I'm getting hungry, can we eat now?"_

"_Sure. Well, I LOVED talking with you, but Sai must eat. Perhaps you can entertain yourself with Antrou over there."_ I turn to where she was mentioning. Antrou…was essentially a zombie in armor…

How am I taking this so well? Perhaps it was because he still had some facial features. No bones or guts were showing, just his skin was a dead green and peeling off. He held a pitch black sword (which was currently stuck in the ground in front of him) that matched his aging armor. He spoke in a deep, serious tone, pleasant compared to Sue and Sai.

**"This is unexpected." **He walked past Naruto to me, sheathed his sword, then kneeled, **"It is an honor to be in thy presence, m'Lady."** I definitely like him better than the other two. **"Have you already greeted our Lady?"**

_"Of Course, we were just as surprised as you were when she arrived!"_

_"Indeed, I thought we would never get to actually MEET her! This IS a treat."_

"Um…what do you mean?"

"**You do not know?"** I shake my head, **"Why, you are the reason we exist. We come here solely because of you."**

"Why do you come here?" I'm getting tired of asking questions…

"**To do our duty"** He unsheathes his sword, **"In your name, dearest Sakura."** And proceeds to cut the still-running Naruto with it, slowly, reverently, methodically.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" I grab his wrist and pull, trying to stop him.

"**Something upsets you, m'Lady?"**

"Yes! I'm not going to let you do that to Naruto!"

"_Honestly, who are YOU to tell US what to do?"_

"**Quiet, Saikuh. Dearest Sakura, what are you asking me to do?"**

"I'm telling you to BACK OFF!" I am so ready to knock this guy's head off. My fist flies for his rotting face. But he grabs my wrist with his free hand.

"**I have made a promise to you m'Lady, and I will see this mission to its end. For it is a promise of a lifetime."** Tossing me aside, he positions his blood stained blade and cuts him again. I get ready to charge Antrou again when I notice what Sue and Sai have been doing…to Sasuke. Both had their fangs imbedded in his neck…

"GET OFF OF HIM!" My vision blurred as I pulled myself up to try and help Sasuke, But I am smacked away by the snake's tail before I can. I hit a wall and slump there, tears rolling down my face. I open my eyes, hoping that they would disappear; that I'd wake up or die or something. But no…Sue and Sai continued to suck on Sasuke, while Antrou ritually sliced Naruto.

"Why are you doing this?"

"_**This is all for you, Sakura. All for you. All for you."**_ They all chanted, the white cloudy floor soon turned red with Naruto's blood that flowed straight toward me, like I was the drain of some demented bloodbath.

"no…No…" _**"All for you"**_ "Nononono."_** "All for you" **_"NOOOOOO!!!"

Silence.

"no…"

They're gone. Naruto and Sasuke are still running, even after all that…I walk over to Naruto, I've got to help him somehow. Control yourself, steady flow of chakra, heal the wounds. Easy.

"Sakura." Naruto! He's talking to me! Now we're getting--, "This is all for you, Sakura." No, it can't be true! Why is he doing this? It can't be just for me, he must have other reasons! It doesn't make any sense!

I back into the invisible wall, right back where I started. Naruto still runs after Sasuke, neither gaining any ground. I turn toward the wall. At least it was more inviting.

"huh?" In the cloudy pattern of the wall, I swear I see two little hands. Like they were pressed up against a window. I hear something…from beyond the wall, but I can't make it out. The hands disappear until two pairs of hands come, one of the pair's shifts and I see them shaped as if someone were trying to see inside a dark room.

Are there people on the other side of this…wall? I try and see myself, but I all I see is white and yellow. But just because I can't see something…

Naruto and Sasuke start up their chant of 'musts' again. For the moment, I don't care. There's a wall begging to be knocked down.

Ever punched a slab of steel before? The only thing that kept all the bones in my hand from breaking was the cushion of chakra that I had built up around it. The wall shook, but other than that nothing happened.

Like one punch was going to do it. I reel back to try again. And again. And again. The pain in my fists makes me lose count. But I could see a crack, small, but it was there. It grew with each hit it took.

The snake and the zombie appeared again, as my blood slid down the fractured wall. One last punch, and the wall finally tumbles down. I see grey dirt, devoid of life, on the other side. Jagged mountains rip into the smoking sky, choking out the sun, leaving a dark red hue to light this world. Withered trees are scattered across the desolate wasteland like discarded toothpicks. The wind howled; pushing its way into the room she was in. It was cool, like the winds of an early autumn.

"Saku..ra" Naruto weakly called. I look back…He wasn't running, he was lying in a pool of his sweat and blood. I noticed dust on the ground…could the snake and zombie have…I shake myself back to reality, and before I could move to help Naruto, another voice came from outside.

"um…" He couldn't have been older than seven, what little he was clothed with were rags that may have well been paper judging how ineffectively they stopped the wind. He worked up a little courage and spoke up. "…Could you help him? He's dieing…please?"

"I know, I was just about to." I start to run to Naruto.

"Not" I stopped, "not him, my…my brother…"

"Sakura…" Naruto called again. I almost out of chakra…if I use it to heal Naruto…then I won't be able to help…this boy. This boy I don't even know…who may be over exaggerating about whatever is wrong with him…

No! How can I think that? I have to trust him, if I don't, and he's telling the truth…but how can I save them both? Argh…Naruto might do okay if I just stop the bleeding, but even still I'd be wasting time! Me thinking is wasting time!

"Sakura?" Naruto called again, the boy stayed silent stepping inside the room to get out of the wind. I don't have time for this!

"Naruto." I kneel down and look him in the eye, "I can't help you right now. Can you hang on for a little longer? I'll be back as soon as I can."

"But…I need--"

"I know you need help, but I know you, you aren't going to let this beat you."

"I can't…"

"Naruto, you need to be strong, for me, okay?" I begin to bandage his wounds, "This is all I can do."

"But…"

"But nothin', what kind of Hokage would you be if you always whined for help? Just keep it together until I get back." I run back to the boy, when Naruto calls out again.

"I'll be waiting…Sakura." I don't turn back, I pick up the boy and focus on getting there and back again. He guides me through the wasteland and I run as fast as I can without chakra, storing up as much as I can.

"We're close…" The boy says as we enter a canyon that looked just as dead as the rest of the world. "There." He pointed to a cave on a ledge above us, I use a little chakra to avoid the long way up. I set the boy down and he leads me inside. I see their mother tending to his brother. He was a couple years older, if that, lying on a couple blankets on top of rock. He has a burning fever, and is struggling to breathe. I don't have much time. The Mother holds her youngest child close as I begin. I haven't had much practice yet, hopefully…

I clear out the mucus buildup and strengthen his white-blood cells. With my chakra quickly depleting, I locate the pathogens infecting his system. Quite frankly, I've never seen this strain of…whatever this is before. It certainly isn't an illness found on my planet…I hope.

Luckily, I finish eliminating the last of the disease, just as I run out of chakra.

"Finished…He should be fine now…"

"Oh thank you! Thank you so much." The mother says through tears as she hugs her elder son.

"I have to get back to Naruto." I walk out and prepare myself to run back, when the younger boy meets me at the entrance. "Oh…Did you need something?"

The boy stares up at me.

"Um…"

With eyes that seem far deeper than they should.

"Congratulations."

"…huh?" A moment later, the world around me melts away into a blank, white void. Where the boy was standing, a new creature stood now. Only slightly taller than me, its head reminded me of the bird statues back on SR-388…or am I still on SR-388?

"You've passed." The creature said in a youthful voice.

"……What?"

"You passed the test."

"……It…was all…a test…"

"Yep, and you passed with flying colors!" He started chuckling, then he started choking.

"YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT EVERYTHING I HAVE JUST BEEN THROUGH WAS A **LIE?!!!!!!!!!!!**"

"Oh dear. Let me explain myself."

"NO! YOU listen to ME!! I have just been through one HELL of an experience and you just show up and tell me that none of it actually HAPPENED!?!?" I throw him aside and try and rant more, but all that comes out are incoherent grunts and shouts.

"Calm down. Let me just--"

"CALM?! I'LL show you CALM!" I go for his throat again.

"Wait just a moment!" He struggles to hold me back. "The test was simply to see if I could help you in your upcoming quests!" He quickly explains.

"What exactly were you testing for?" I ask as calmly as I can.

"I couldn't tell you…" I feel my blood-pressure rising, "but I can tell you what it all meant!!"

"…Go on." He catches a breath.

"Alright. Here's how I see it. The test was to see if you could break out of your own little world and still function. You were in essentially a snow globe, while you were faced with your two teammates. One consumed by hatred and a twisted sense of friendship towards you, the other desperately trying to fulfill your wish for the other not to walk down said path. The first obstacle was acknowledging another being outside your surroundings, next was to find the resolve to break free from your enclosed world, then to believe in your friends and go out alone into the world to help others in need."

"Then what was the point of having Sasuke and Naruto there; shouldn't I have had to figure out a way to save them?"

"You did. By not worrying about them so much as breaking free, the monsters you saw were no more. Had you tried to defeat them, you would have exhausted yourself and failed the test entirely."

"Uh-huh…" Not convinced.

"How can I say this…By not relying on your friends for constant comfort, you proved yourself separate from them, rather than tied to their fates. The way you reassured your friend when he was sure he was doomed is also proof of the fact that you can make your own decisions, while not forsaking your friends."

"But I left Naruto…he could've been dead by the time I returned."

"You seemed to believe that he would survive long enough for you to help him."

"But I didn't know--"

"Yes you did. You firmly believed in Naruto…even when his confidence was faltering." I thought about that…then chuckled.

"Which would never happen."

"…At any rate, you passed the test, and your reward is…this" He stepped aside and gestured to a bright light behind him. "Should you choose to accept it, of course."

The orb approached me and stopped arms-length away. Well…here goes nothing...

Moments later the white space around me turns a shade yellower, and a little extra weight falls on my shoulders.

"huh?" I look down at my hands, now covered in a smooth, white metal glove that allowed my fingers to move freely. I am now wearing an elegant white robe that extended down to my ankles, slit at the sides for greater movement. My legs are covered with a material similar to my gloves; from the knee down, I guess I am wearing armored boots, though they are not heavy. Now I realize that the robe is not cloth but metal…or maybe a little of both, I can't tell. The slender belt is crimson and matches the trim of the robe, as well as the few other creases in the armor. The belt has several compartments, though they weren't very noticeable.

"You have passed the suit's test, may you use it well." He smiles and continues, "The suit augments your abilities, giving you even greater chakra control and even a little more chakra to work with. While the suit may not look like it could stand much, it is much more resilient than it looks. Though if need more defense, the suit will provide."

"How?" As if answering my question, I felt my suit shifting itself. I look back. I almost want to cry…

"Those wings give you enhanced movement and defense, however, they require energy to use when used near a large gravitational mass." I have wings…wings!!

"You are now a warrior of the Chozo, may you fly true in the worst of skies. Oh, right! Also, since you are not Chozo by blood, the suit has a mind of its own. Misuse it and it will leave you, when it feels it is not needed it will deactivate and store itself inside you. It's kind of a way to keep you from relying on the suit. That and those who aren't Chozo can't handle the pressure for extended periods. Anyway, good luck!"

"Huh? Wait! How do I…leave?"

"We will be watching…" He says as he fades away…

"I didn't even get your name!"

He unfades, "Goodness, how rude of me. Rambling on all this time…It's Orange Swan." Orange Swan? I keep my laughter back as best I can…

"Well, hehe, I'll be sure to remember it. Oh, I'm Sakura Haruno, in case you didn't already know."

"Then Miss Sakura Haruno, I will take my leave." And he fades for the second time.

I wonder if I will see him again…

**-Sasuke-**

Black…

Red…

I've been here before…I've lived this memory too many times.

Too many…

The sun turns yellow, the sky, blue. Is this…it is…

Leaf village, Uchiha district. I still smell the blood in air…the motionless corpses of my friends, my family. All under one man. One man whose eyes burn with a hatred that none can rival…not even Gaara…One man whose blade is soaked with the entire clan. Except me.

They say that survivors of a massacre live on wishing they had died. They say that vengeance is older than any god or demon, save only the oldest. They say there is nothing like the love between brothers…

I say they are all imbeciles.

I merely wish to see my brother's head impaled upon a spear for all to see, as payment for his deeds. The love for my brother is now hatred. And vengeance is not ancient.

I AM Vengeance.

"Do you have enough hatred…little brother?" He stands there, looking down at me…like he always has. He must be feeling especially confident today, he doesn't even have his Sharingan activated. I draw my sword; he lazily reaches over his shoulder to draw his. His blade is stained, I can see from here…only reminding me of my objective.

I don't sound a battle cry…I simply charge, and we clash. We break away and clash again, and again. Our speed gradually increasing, the swords sing in the wind, and scream when they meet. Sparks fly, and we match each other blow for blow.

He is toying with me. My eyes spin, reading his moves, and he lets me read them. He underestimates me.

I dodge his last swing, and I cut through his arm and side, stopping at the spine. He falls to the ground and bleeds…bleeds. Too easy… As if answering my thoughts, Itachi's body 'poof's and is replaced by…by…

"Substitution is not limited to non-living things…the more chakra you put into the jutsu, the more…versatile it becomes…" Itachi explains nonchalantly at a safe distance.

"What have I told you…about revenge…" He coughs up blood and stays silent…

"You will die Itachi…" I dash in front of him once more, "DIE!" our swords clash again. I push him away, "Fireball jutsu!" He 'poof's again. I keep after him. I have him on the defensive, I will have my vengeance!

I slash out his heart.

I bathe in his head's blood.

I fly through his lungs and intestines.

He still taunts me. My sword misses its mark and stabs into his shoulder, I pull it out for the fatal blow.

"Wait!" Itachi pleads, such a sweet sound. I aim for his forehead. "Look at what you've done!" Finally.

What? He holds my sword back with his fingers. "I will not let you kill me until you have realized what you have done!" Why the resistance? He left me alive so I could kill him. Why? Why does he…care?

"Who are you?"

"_He's your brother, little brother."_ Itachi's voice answers. But how? I turn to see my brother stand a few feet away.

"A clone?"

"_In a manner of speaking…"_

"So you are a copy." I press my sword down, I don't need to worry about two of him. He still resists.

"Why are you doing this Sasuke?" The clone struggles to say. "Why do you want to kill me?" I am getting annoyed…

"You killed my friends, my family; everything, gone in one night!"

"But…Sasuke--"

"_If I may, little brother, I think YOU are the one who is guilty of that…"_

"No, it was YOU who killed them, just to see how strong you were! YOU killed them and left me to kill you,"

"_Perhaps you should listen to your brother's plea…"_ He chuckles, _"Of course, you could just kill him and come after me again…"_ His chuckles turn into a laugh that ends in a few seconds. He then positions himself behind me, not any closer, he simply moved. _"Did you even see them in your rage...little brother?"_ The village burned intensely, he walked through as if ignoring the flames. He knelt down and picked up a body…half a body. _"Do you recognize him? He always was torn up about which son to love more."_ He walked further, but I could still see and hear him clearly. _"Or her? I guess it was rather easy to break that 'mother-son' bond wasn't it? Or your teacher…remember him? Apparently teaching you nearly everything you know isn't enough to stop your blade. Well…you burned this one to a crisp, didn't she love you? Figures her passion would 'backfire'. And finally…Your OTHER brother…He was running to hell to stop you, you know that? No wonder you ripped his heart out. No one should stand in YOUR way…"_ He dragged their bodies through the village and threw them at my feet. _"All that's left is your brother…and then you wouldn't have a soul to care about."_ He laughs again. I rip my sword from the copy's grasp. He needs to die…He needs to die

"WHY DON'T YOU DIE!!!" I leap over the corpses, and begin to attack.

"Sasuke, WAIT!" I'm only a few steps away from him, I feel the copy holding the back of my shirt. He's still bleeding from his shoulder wound. "Don't do this…you're doing exactly what he wants you to do. What will happen when you succeed?"

"That doesn't matter, my purpose in life…is to kill HIM!" my sword barely misses his nose.

"So, What? You're going to let him dictate your life?" I look down at Naruto, holding one of my ankles in place. With that idiotic smile on his face, even though there's a giant hole in his chest. "Bullshit! You're better than that!"

"Sasuke…" Sakura's voice comes from a charred and burnt face as she stands behind Naruto. "You can't let him control you…"

"_How touching…"_ Itachi starts, _"But let's get one thing straight…I've never controlled you. Go ahead, try and kill me, I've been waiting for you."_

The copy lets go of my shirt, "Sasuke…I'm sorry…You're old enough to make your own decisions…I shouldn't have stopped you…" He takes several steps back, stopping in front of my parents.

"Wait, WHAT? Waddya mean, 'I shouldn't have stopped you', I'm not about to let him throw his life away!" Naruto protests…as usual.

"Naruto…" Sakura kneels down to Naruto's level. "Itachi's right…this is his choice…for better or worse." Naruto looks up at me a few moments more before letting go and joining…Itachi…

I raise my sword to the demon in front of me. _"Finally, we can end this. You are ready, now, AVENGE YOUR CLAN!"_ His sword meets mine and I wait. A few minutes pass. _"What's wrong? There's no way you can live a happy life with me around. Do you need another reason to kill me? If you don't kill me now, then I will kill you and everyone you hold dear. You will live the rest of your life looking over your shoulder and training for a battle you will lose. You have the power to kill me now, but this will be your only chance."_ His murderous intent bombards me, his malicious smile is out of character. Has he lost his mind?

I sheathe my sword. "Ever since you betrayed and abandoned me, the only thought that I have had was to get stronger…so I could kill you. I trained night and day, and tested my strength against others, just to see if I was making any progress at all. You torment me constantly, Itachi. I thought that if I killed you, the nightmares would stop. But…" I look back at my friends…my…family. "That isn't true is it…If I kill you…the nightmares will still be there, and I will have nothing to unleash my anguish upon."

"You are right, you have never controlled me…but I've never been in control of myself either. I abandoned my friends to find a way to kill you, and even tried to kill them when they wanted to reason with me." I take one last look at the Itachi standing with my friends…before turning to face the other Itachi.

"I can't say I will stop hating you, or that I won't kill you. But I will say this…"

"I will kill you on MY terms, not yours. I am in control of my life, now; nothing you say or do will change that."

He doesn't respond. The flames of the village behind him weaken and disappear. The village itself warps and vanishes, leaving a white void.

"Well, can't say that I thought you'd pass…but you did!" Where Itachi was standing, a bird-like creature stood now. "Congratulations."

"hmph…"

"Don't like that it was all fake? Tough. Deal with it."

"I don't mind that it was fake…what was this supposed to prove?"

"That the Chozo are some sick mo'fos…seriously, If you think I came up with this test, you're insane. But, you passed, which means that you ARE sane…I guess."

This is stupid…

"Look, I'm not very good at this whole 'be a mysterious mentor' thing, alright?"

"I can tell…"

"Anyway, the suit has accepted you, all you need to do if accept it and all will be right with the universe blahblahblah."

An orb of light appears in front of me.

"Well, yes or no?" I shoot him a glare and reach my hand out to the orb.

I find myself in a suit of armor, similar to those of the samurai. I notice the shape of the red-tinted visor I'm looking through bears a resemblance to the Uchiha clan symbol, only it was more of an oval shape.

"Don't think that sword hangin' at your waist is the only weapon you've got…though it is one of the few that doesn't require you to pour chakra into it." I pull a cylinder off my belt, I pour chakra into it. Nothing happens at first, until I get to the point of concentration that I need for Chidori. The cylinder channeled my chakra…into a blade. "You have several of those, just think of a shape and it will take it." The blades shifts from katana to broadsword as soon as he says this. "The energy won't hurt you, but it will anyone else." The broadsword shifts into a scythe and then back to a katana. There was not weight difference at all.

"As you think of new ideas, the suit will do its best to implement them."

"hmph." It was a good hmph.

"Good, you like it. So, I'm Red Hawk, I'll be around, so…yeah. I'll be going now…let's see, what was it again? Oh yeah."

"May you use the suit well, we will be watching." And he fades away.

-x-x-

"Finally!" Sakura? "Wake up already, we've got a problem" Was it all just a dream?

No. I have my suit, Sakura has hers (not surprising…except the wings…), and we're surrounded by Metroids.

"You can fly?"

"I've used to much energy, I think I could only glide at this point."

"Any word from Samus?"

"_Sakura, Sasuke, can you hear me?"_

Sakura responds, I take the chance to slice a few Metroids from a distance using my Chidori blades. "Yes, where are you? We're kind of in a bind right now…"

_"I'm coming to you, hang on."_

"She's on her way."

"You said you could glide, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Think you can make some mountains?"

"hm…We'll find out!" Her glove becomes an armored gauntlet, and with a shout, she slams her fist into the ground. The ground starts sinking, while around us, a circular wall forms. Some Metroids try and block the opening, I take care of them easily.

"Come on." I run up the rockface, hoping that her earth-moving made some mountains.

The debris that was pushed up barely cleared the treetops, but that's all I needed.

"Get ready." I grab Sakura's hand and jump, focusing my Chidori's power to my feet. Luckily, the suit gets the idea and launches us into the sky. "There's Samus!"

Sakura takes over from there, spreading her wings to slow our decent. Samus flies neatly under us and let's us in.

"So, I see you got new suits…" She starts. I notice the Metroid floating in a glass container nearby.

"And you got a Metroid."

A pause.

All of us release a sigh of relief.

"Let's…never come back here again." Sakura states as she slumps into her chair. Our suits disappear and we relax…

"You're going to have to tell me what happened." Samus breaks out of the planets atmosphere and heads for G.F.S Zeus.

"How long do we have?" I ask.

"About…two hours…"

"That should give us enough time…" Sakura starts, though she stops herself. Samus catches on quickly.

"When you're ready, of course."

The rest of the trip was spent in silence.

**-Samus-**

"Welcome back, Samus." Admiral Griel walks into the operation room. Though there was hardly an operation… "The mission was a success, then?"

"Yes…though there is the matter of the other two."

"We did give them suits…what happened to them?"

"That is precisely the problem…somehow…they obtained new suits." Griel pulled a chair up to the table I was sitting on. The 'operation' was simply an injection. Though there was the risk of being torn apart from the inside out, turns out the Metroid vaccination worked perfectly. The X Parasites are no longer a problem.

"The new suits…they are familiar to me…"

"They're not ours, but…could they be made…"

"By the Chozo, I think so. Whatever happened on SR-388…tells me that these two, have quite a future ahead of them."

A pause…

"Speaking of which, I am mainly here to tell you that the Federation representatives have arrived. They wish to speak to…your crew members very soon."

"You know they are not my crew."

"They may as well be."

"Where are they meeting them?"

"In meeting room number 42. They have also extended their invitation to you Samus, should you wish to accompany them."

"Thank You, I will consider it."

"I've got work to do, being Admiral and all."

"Right."

He walks out with a smile. He really does love his job. I activate my suit and head for Sasuke and Sakura's rooms.

I have no doubt that the Federation will approve of them.

**-Dr. Burish-**

24 hours…

I have twenty-four hours…

I pity you…Naruto…it seems that no one is coming.

…

I call for two lifting drones. I remove their data banks, then have them detach and lift the containment unit. I open a drawer and take out a smaller container. I fold his clothes and place them inside.

I enter the elevator with the drones…and Naruto. I make sure the camera feed is looping…can't have anyone noticing what I am doing.

I give Naruto his last dose of tranquilizer…I was not able to find a cure for the X Parasites infested inside you…I apologize.

I doubt it will stop you.

The elevator arrives at the hanger…MY hanger. Space Pirates are not the brightest bunch…not at all.

The drones load Naruto into my ship…when they are finished, I dispose of them.

Only a few loose ends to tie…

…

I can only wait a little longer…

If no one comes…then…

…

I will have no choice…but to escape.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

PLEASE REVIEW!!

**Next Time: More Testing!! The Race to Zebes Begins!!**

A/N: Please review and give feedback, what do you think?Holy Crap!! This is, by far (again), the longest freaking chapter I've ever written. Also, I know Samus' true identity, and now some others in the story know also!!

Tip for authors…Do what I didn't do! Finish your story completely before posting!! This allows for faster updates!!

New suits revealed next chapter!!

Garra's suit is based off of the Generals of the Fire Emblem series…only without the lance or sword or axe…HE'S GOT SAND for that. It pretty much makes him God of Sand. End of story.

PLEASE REVIEW!!


End file.
